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Logos And Pathos In King's Letter From Birmingham Jail - College Papers

Logos And Pathos In King's Letter From Birmingham Jail

The civil rights movement has always relied on individuals who believe in the greatest good for the greatest number of people. It has always been the people who are able to look at the bigger picture who are ultimately the most effective in making changes. In 1963, eight Alabama clergymen wrote a public statement condemning King’s actions in a recent nonviolent campaign. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” King uses the appeal of ethos most effectively in supporting his argument because it allows him to reinforce an inspiring, intuitive and idealistic image of himself.
Through logos, King presents an organized, sound argument to be examined. First, if one examines the structure of ...

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law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law” (54). By defining just and unjust laws, King enabled the rationalization of the breaking of some laws to enable his nonviolent campaign. By use of logos, King defends the justification of his demonstrations, while convincing others of the importance the demonstrations hold.
From another angle, King effectively appeals to a different audience through his use of pathos. Initially, King works a level of disgust toward the community that opposed his action. King asserts, “Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of brutality is widely known” (52). By introducing his opponents as negative, he introduces a level of doubt in the power structure. Through the examples of children, King either makes the reader feel great sorrow, or makes them feel like a hatemonger. Neither position is one that our society craves. Emotions aside, King makes strong ...

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Logos And Pathos In King's Letter From Birmingham Jail. (2005, August 29). Retrieved January 10, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Logos-Pathos-Kings-Letter-Birmingham-Jail/32436

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"Logos And Pathos In King's Letter From Birmingham Jail." Essayworld.com. August 29, 2005. Accessed January 10, 2026. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Logos-Pathos-Kings-Letter-Birmingham-Jail/32436.

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 8/29/2005 12:46:43 PM
Category: English
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 765
Pages: 3

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