blog




  • Essay / Similarities between Martin Luther King and Socrates

    Throughout history, the greatest thinkers were not the ones who followed the crowd, they asked why should we follow the crowd? Who decides whether they should follow the crowd? What happens when you don't follow the crowd?Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay These thoughts, challenging the status quo, have made them infamous for some and beloved by others. But above all, famous in history for having made a difference in one way or another. By this standard we see both Martin Luther King and Socrates, two of the most famous thinkers in history. They both pursued their moral compass, stood up for what they believed was right, even making the ultimate sacrifice because of those decisions. Therefore, I can conclude that Martin Luther King and Socrates are similar because of their pursuit of justice and truth, challenging the status quo. Martin Luther King is widely known as a justice figure who fought for equality for African Americans. a radical. From the Latin meaning (radical - radix, meaning root), having this radical vision meant taking old, intoxicating roots and replacing them with new ones. He did just that by challenging the status quo of his time. As he puts it: “I am convinced that [a] new life [for humanity] will not emerge until our nation has undergone a radical revolution of values. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are seen as more important than people, [then] the giant triplets of racism, economic exploitation and militarism are incapable of being defeated,” for MLK (an abbreviation of Martin Luther King), it was important to seek the truth in the situation and see the three things he saw; racism, economic exploitation and militarism, to guide its path to justice. This shows his methodology of thinking, which led him to the truth and the problem, which then showed him areas where he needed to improve. He took justice for his people, upon himself, even to his own death. Socrates was a very important Greek philosopher of the time. He was a well-respected man, but hated, because he questioned the status quo. He approached it wanting to find the truth and strived to question things. As Socrates is described in our class book, “Socrates vigorously opposed the views of the Sophists. Emphasizing the absolute nature of truth and justice, he described the ethical life as belonging to a broader set of universal truths and an immutable moral order. » (Fiero 101) the quote captures the very essence of Socrates and what made him the figure he was; justice and truth. All he ever wanted, and what his teachings revolved around, was to find the truth in things, through questioning, and to find justice. Not only did he have a great impact on his time on the planet, but his teachings were passed down through his students and gave rise to other philosophers, such as Plato. A quote from the Late Republic, a book written by Plato and inspired by Socrates: "Therefore my advice is to cling always to the heavenly way and to always seek justice and virtue", further emphasizing the importance that Socrates places on justice, he even died to ensure that he would be remembered for pursuing justice, due to the ignorance of others. Something MLK and Socrates shared was a passion for seeking"