xteen King says, An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. King goes on to support this statement by quoting St. Thomas Aquinas, who says that, An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Later in the letter, King chooses to rationalize his ethical views by comparing his actions to those of Jesus Christ, Amos, John Bunyon and Paul the apostle. Kings method of comparing his action to those of biblical figures gives him undeniable credibility to anyone who claims to believe in Christianity. This method is extremely effective because it gives the reader limited foresight into the future of the civil rights movement. This is possible because King established that his plight and those of Paul, Jesus and Amos are in effect the same, and must end in freedom for the oppressed and persecuted.Nevertheless, King does not rely on these arguments alone. He creates an ethical paradox in the hearts of his readers by saying We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. King says this to play on the ethical values of his readers. His objective is simple, he wants his readers to remember what he says, so they can begin to take a stand for justice. King also effectively eliminates any uncertainty surrounding how he views those who stand for nothing. This coupled with the extreme guilt placed in the hearts of Kings readers, (because of his previous statement) moves them to action.The primary factor for Kings successful call to action, is due to his ability to establish credibility by making powerful statements when readers hang on his every word. When King says [Civil disobedience] was practiced superbly by early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions or the excruciating pain of the chopping blocks rather then submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire, he is te...
