Logical Fallacies in Letter from Birmingham Jail

Martin Luther King, Jr. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was composed in 1963, when African Americans were fighting for their rights. The reason for this letter is that Martin Luther King is attempting to persuade the clergymen. While doing this, he utilizes critical and powerful tones to endeavor and to impact the clergymen to agree with him. Martin Luther King gives a substantial contention utilizing Logos, Pathos, and Ethos all throughout his letter.

Martin Luther King utilizes logos in the letter he wrote to defend the civil rights of the African Americans from the clergymen. In the letter he demonstrates his point from multiple points of view, incorporating and utilizing proof in the letter. He also uses logical fallacies, for example like appealing to authority. Like when he writes about the prophet Paul “was not Paul an extremist for justice; “let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream”. This would be an appeal to authority because he is utilizing an important person from the bible and telling the clergymen that since he is a very important figure in the bible it should be a strong argument. Despite the fact that he uses logos in his favor, in his article he uses a lot of examples to persuade them like also logos. He utilizes a lot of precedents to ensure the clergymen comprehend his point better with backed-up information that is valid.

Not only does he utilizes logos but, Martin Luther King also utilizes ethos. He is a man that is very moral and very knowledgeable. He demonstrates that he understands and is very flexible when he says, “We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional god given-rights.” This is sensible in light of the fact that the ministers are instructing him to pause, and King is being sensible on the grounds that he waited for a long time. He likewise demonstrates that he is proficient when he expresses that “We ought to always remember that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was “legitimate” and everything the Hungarian opportunity contenders did in Hungary was “illicit”.” He utilizes his authentic information to help demonstrate his point and to help motivate individuals to comprehend his point better. At long last, King is moral in that when he says, “…so we should see the requirement for peaceful gadflies to make the sort of strain in the public arena that will enable men to ascend from the dull profundities of partiality and bigotry to the grand statures of comprehension and fellowship.” This is moral since his primary objective is for everybody to be as one and settled.

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