Martin Luther King, Jr.

In honor of the only Baptist to have a federal holiday named after him, a post on Martin Luther King, Jr. is in order. Each academic term I each a basic philosophy class. In that class we explore four different topics: determinism, ontology, ethics and philosophy of religion. In the section on ethics we read an example of four or five different methodological approaches e.g. utilitarianism, egoism, social contract theory, etc.

98% of my students subscribe to the Divine Command, the ethical perspective that argues God’s commands determine what is moral and what is immoral. We look at the strengths and weaknesses of the theory and then read an example of that theory in action, MLK’s Letter From Birmingham Jail. King’s letter was written in response to a letter from eight Birmingham ministers who asked the reasonable question “How can a minister lead people in activities that are against the law?”

King’s response is remarkable, particularly given the context of its composition. King composed scratched out the letter on toilet paper and newspaper, without access to a library (or even to Google?!). He references the giants of the Christian faith (Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Bunyan) as well as earlier philosophers (Socrates, Buber). He also quotes from Jefferson and Lincoln.

King also carefully explains how not all laws are just laws. He argues that the church has traditionally stood on the side of the poor and the oppressed, just like the prophets of old. What comes across in this letter is his abiding disappointment in the white church. Its leadership was absent and even in opposition to one of the great moral issues of its day.

Reaction from the students is consistent. Perhaps 10% of the class has read the Letter before taking this class. That includes the African-American students. Some students belie the “soft bigotry of low expectations” when they say something like “I didn’t know he was so intelligent!” But above all they are amazed at the powerful testament to King’s determination to practice non-violent confrontation, a determination King centered firmly on his religious conviction.

King’s actions transformed the South and provide an example of how a prophetic voice can still challenge a corrupt and oppressive society. I commend it for your reading on this cold January evening. It may be found in its entirety here.