No inherent difference. Reinhold Niebuhr’s objections of nonviolent resistance was incoherent. Niebuhr put forth the belief that there is no inherent moral difference between violent, and nonviolent forms of resistance, but rather that it was a matter of degree or effectiveness. King points out that Niebuhr’s objection is distorted as there is a vast difference between nonresistance and nonviolent resistance. Nonviolence is not having blind faith in something greater, but rather the planned and deliberate actions carried out which can be both mentally and physically exhausting. There is a lot that goes into nonviolent resistance, and you must be willing to receive violence and mistreatment while knowing you will not reciprocate such behaviour …show more content…
Is it realistic pacifism worth the work? Yes, as discussed throughout this paper, not only does it ensure that it is not perpetuating the same violence it wishes to end, but that it contributes to lasting change. This is comparable Niebuhr’s objection that it is irresponsible to not only believe in, but to encourage the use of nonviolent methods as a means of addressing inequality as there is no basis that it will work. This too is proved to be untrue through the principles involved with these methods. It is not for the cowards, and one must be aware of the extreme amount of perseverance, and dedication involved within it to be successful. I personally find something oddly compelling about how it is encouraged to not internalize any hate, which is something that I think we should do more often as no one should bring up low enough to hate …show more content…
Through the reason he chose the route of nonresistance, to the objections King has faced, there is a legacy left behind of what it truly means to be a part of these methods. These principles can be applied to the life of the typical person, and elevate the lives of those around them as it creates an open, and blame free environment for both parties to thrive. King will forever be an advocate, an inspiration, and an example of the dedication necessary for
unjust” (Banks 1). “Principle four – accept suffering without retaliation for the sake of the cause to achieve the goal – this characterizes that nonviolent resistance is a willingness to accept suffering without retaliation, to accept blows from the opponent without striking back; accept the violence, if necessary; but to never inflict violence on another” (Banks 2). “Principle five – avoid internal violence of the spirit, as well as, external physical violence – a nonviolent resister not only refuses to fight or shoot his opponent, but he also refuses to hate him; at the center of nonviolence stands the principle of love for one another” (Banks 2). “Principle six – the universe is on the side of justice – this basic fact pertaining to nonviolent resistance is that it is based on the conviction that the universe is on the side of justice which is positive peace, consequently, the believer in nonviolence has a deep faith in the future and therefore, can accept suffering without retaliation. There is a creative force in this universe, that by whatever name we decide to call it, it works to bring the disconnected aspects of reality into a harmonious whole; a universal wholeness for each of us to share with one another and that nonviolence is both the means and the end” (Banks 3). Dr. King also had a couple of
The argument of the letter is that direct action must be taken in specific ways for changes to be brought about. King says that nonviolent action can only be achieved by following four specific steps. The first step he says is to determine if there really are injustices being made towards a certain group. He shows these injustices with examples of violent acts against Negroes including police attacks, bombing of homes and churches, and lynching by mobs. He says that Negroes have been victims of discrimination in their inability to receive the benefits that their white counterparts receive. More have also been in poverty due to prejudices against them. He sees a flourishing, affluent society in which blacks are not allowed to play a role in. King knows that the Negroes are not free and in order for freedom to be gained it must "be demanded" because it "is simply not given". The second step in the process of starting a nonviolent movement is the attempt to negotiate with your oppressors. King spoke with white merchants in Birmingham and asked that racial signs be removed from store windows. These merchants promised
How does the social responsibility of intellectuals to demonstrate civil disobedience differ from Lincoln and MLK’s time and today as demonstrated by Black lives matter and Antifa
“ The 1960s Civil Rights Movement in the United States whose goals were to end racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans and to secure legal recognition and federal protection of the citizenship rights in the Constitution and federal law.” from Wikipedia.com. The Civil Rights Era was where many things have changed for the world now. To education, law, enforcement and the people's freedom. Many people had sacrifice ensure our future to be bright, and most of the big stars now lived through to see their results to the future. During that time the whole country had suffered because millions of immigrants has came. The movement was characterized by major campaigns of civil resistance. Between 1955 and 1968, acts of nonviolent
In the text Stride Towards Freedom, by Martin Luther King Jr., he explains the reasons behind non-violent resistance. King also explains to us how to use non-violent resistance to our advantage. There are also many different ways we can overcome oppression according to King. There are many different ways human beings deal with oppression. In his book he expresses how people handle oppression in three characteristic ways. Acquiescence, violence, or nonviolent resistance are ways the oppressed deal with their
In order to gain a better understanding of the gravitas of Martin Luther King’s nonviolent philosophies, it is vital that the word ‘nonviolent’ be defined in the context of the civil rights
In the 1950s till present day we still use nonviolent resistance to stand up for what we believe is right. Nonviolent resistant protests were one way for Civil Rights leaders used to advance their cause in the 1950s and 1960s. These protests lead to the Civil Rights act of 1964. This act outlawed discrimination based on color, race, religion, sex, or national origin. It starts with civil disobedience, which is the act of opposing a law one considers unjust and peacefully disobeying it while accepting the consequences. This was the case in some protests where they felt laws were unfair, unjust, and unconstitutional. I believe that peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts a free society using the Montgomery Bus Boycott, The March on Washington, and the Salt March as my three examples of nonviolent resistance protests that positively impacted a free society.
It has been debated though out history whether or not nonviolence “works”. Many societies, and this without question includes the United States, have mostly relied on violent tactics. Many people believe that violence is the only way to stop wars, even though it creates war, and people tend to believe that violence is the one solution to many global and political problems. However, recent literature and research is starting to prove otherwise. Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist, recently published a book, Why Civil Resistance Works in 2011. The research highlights data that shows throughout history, nonviolent tactics are more effective than violent ones in various ways.
I believe that Civil Disobedience as demonstrated by Rosa Parks, although unlawful, was constructive as it forged a new way of thinking. "You must never be fearful about what you are doing when what you are doing is right." Those words spoken by her exemplify the true meaning of Civil Disobedience or Peaceful Resistance. Martin Luther King Jr. best outlined the principle of Civil Disobedience when he said," True peace is not merely the absence of tension, it is the presence of justice."
The world has been driven by a force of civil disobedience by many different well known leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. , Rosa Parks, Alice Paul, and Mahatma Ghandi. Civil disobedience, the act of disobeying the law in a peaceful manner for one’s own rights and thoughts, has been used for the greater good for centuries past and will most likely continue to do this through the many centuries to come. The Constitution itself states that congress can make no law prohibiting religion, media, speech, the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances and the right to peacefully assemble. Civil disobedience is also shown vividly through the Civil
“Three Ways of Meeting Oppression” by Martin Luther King, Jr., is an essay taken from his book Stride Toward Freedom in the year of 1958. In the essay, King describes how oppressed people deal with their oppression in three characteristic ways: acquiescence, violence, and non-violent resistance. King finds these strategies to be ineffective, and believes that the oppressed people won’t achieve justice if they progress this way. He argues that justice will be achieved when the oppressed cooperate with the unjust system, prevent the use of violence, and use non-violent resistance. King demonstrates how the oppressed people actions are immoral and impractical by arguing and giving solutions that are practical and morally right.
Most individuals all throughout the world turn to civil disobedience when trying to stand up for an symbol worthy of protest. In the grand majority of the cases, this sort of rebellion is in defiance of an authoritative persona or a law that has been set in place that individuals do not necessarily agree with.
Peaceful Resistance has had its place in many societies around the world for centuries. Examples of this powerful political tool exist from the Roman Plebeians refusing to work in order to bring change to the harsh Roman consul to the notorious Indian Independence movement led by Mohandas Gandhi. Peaceful Resistance is not only effective through its influential and compelling tactics, but it is absolutely necessary when those in power refuse to acknowledge the issues in front of them. In order to advance anything, attention has to be brought to the issue at hand. Without people willing to be peacefully passionate, there will be no LASTING change. Laws are put in place to protect people, however when that protection discriminates or takes away
Nonviolence resistance has been used to achieve many goals in the past, whether it is a political goal, a social goal, or an economic goal. According to Clausewitz, war is the continuation of politics by other means, and the reason why nonviolence resistance can be considered a type of warfare is because the goal is to get what they desired. A well-known example of this was the Civil Right’s Movement, whose goal was to end segregation and discrimination against African Americans. This movement encompassed three broad categories created by Gene Sharp: nonviolent protests and persuasion, noncooperation (economic and political), and nonviolent intervention. A few groups that were involved in this movement and that displayed these categories were the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Despite being nonviolent called nonviolent, though, there are some occasions where violence is present. However, because it is called a nonviolent resistance it can be confusing for others to even consider this as a type of warfare.
Peaceful resistance or civil disobedience, is a method of expressing disapproval of certain laws in the form of non-violent activities and protests such as marches, boycotts and other non-violent methods with the aim of bringing about a change to the opposed law. Although the approach of peaceful resistance is sometimes defiant in the way which the participant’s strong beliefs are communicated, it is in complete respect of the law rather than the denouncement of it. Hence peaceful resistance does not negatively impact the society, it rather positively impacts the free society by providing a channel through which unjust situations and laws left in the dark may be heard, seen, and dealt with accordingly. Throughout the years’ peaceful