Martin Luther King Jr Ethos Pathos Logos

Everyday , the careless choices made by higher powers affect the lives of their subordinates. In a conference held by John F Kennedy in 1962, this United States President argued that the US steel companies hiking prices was unfair and unnecessary when the United States condition, and the economic condition of steel companies were juxtaposed. Commencing with harsh accusations, Kennedy uses logos and pathos to condemn steel companies for victimizing the public. Kennedy begins his speech by utilizing blunt accusations, repetition, and appealing to a sense of sacrifice and consequence. Kennedy shames these corporations for hiking up prices when the national economy is focused on rebuilding itself.

Martin Luther King Jr is an incredible writer and speaker which did help him when he was in the civil rights act to end the segregation of African Americans and white people. In king’s famous works such as his “I Have A Dream” speech and his “Letter From Birmingham Jail” King discusses his want to the end of segregation through the means of persuasion. By doing this he uses two types of persuasive appeals, logos(using a clear line of reasoning supported by evidence, and pathos (using loaded or charged language and other devices to arouse emotions) in King’s coordination towards each texts targeted speech and audience. King uses both of these appeals excellently and is not exactly better at one than the other mainly because of the target audience and occasion these texts are represented by. Let the rest of essay explain to you as to why this is.

Martin Luther King Jr. used many powerful strategies and tactics such as imagery of the future, descriptive details of the present, historical figures and the use of logos, pathos and ethos. Throughout the entire piece, King used logos, or logic. He uses this tactic with the knowledge of explanations being more effective than emotions. When compared to an extremist, he took the idea as logical and used choices of words to show his passion, which also appealed as pathos.

King symbolizes the “long night of captivity” to slavery to give his audience a feeling of what it might’ve felt like to be enslaved. King also states, “...the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.” [King, 1963]. To summarize his words.

A goal to eliminate segregation and make African Americans equal. Dr king could not have rallied people to his cause if it was not for his expert persuasion. With his masterful execution of Pathos, ethos and logos, he connected to people, allowing them to see the bigger picture, seeing the path to humanity and pulling people away from the harsh status quo. Pathos refers to the emotional appeal of the speaker, and King uses it effectively

Martin Luther King, Jr. uses ethos to appeal to his audience. MLK stated he would have not allowed a person to go without or let someone suffer. MLK states, “Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at the time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country’s antireligious laws.” (p. 4)

With the way that society existed during Martin Luther King Jr.’s time, he made it his life’s purpose to tackle racism, segregation, and discrimination. Due to his position in the church and his relationship with the Gospel, he found activism as an outlet to use his wealth of knowledge. He wanted to use the teachings of God and the bible to exemplify ideal behavior between different races. MLK Jr. expressed his dream of the world coming together as one.

In “A Letter From A Birmingham Jail” Martin Luther King Jr defends his use of nonviolent protest in order to accomplish racial equality. In the letter, Dr. King uses ethos, diction, and allusions when defending nonviolent protest which makes his argument really strong. His goal is to make the clergymen help him fight racial equality. He uses ethos to build up credibility.

Martin Luther King Jr. uses the rhetorical appeal of logos to help reinforce his argument for civil disobedience. He further supports his claim through the use of antithesis. King uses logos to point out the flaws of the treatment of minorities and the and the justice system by stating “Its ugly record f police brutality is known in every section of this country. Its unjust treatment of negros in the courts is a notorious reality” on page 6. King uses logos to prove that using civil disobedience would be more effective than trying to change society through law and order.

When speaking of the unjust happening, he expresses, “We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: ‘For Whites Only’”. (pg 2) King brings to light the extent of racism they experience and uses children to touch people in a different way. This treatment towards African Americans goes beyond what is shown. Additionally, when speaking of life as a black individual, King states, “We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highway.” (pg2)

President John F. Kennedy expresses his disapproval towards America’s steel industries in his speech on April 10, 1962. Although Kennedy is a Harvard graduate whose bank account could handle the increase, he takes a stand with the American people who were just the opposite of him. He rallies these people through his use of rhetorical strategies such as logos, pathos, and anaphoras. Every part of Kennedy’s speech uses logos in some form. Whether he is giving facts, quoting other members of the government or simply tugging on pure logic, Kennedy uses this to gain their trust.

Martin Luther King Jr. was an important figure in gaining civil rights throughout the 1960’s and he’s very deserving of that title as seen in both his “I Have a Dream” speech and his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” letter. In both of these writings Dr. King uses logos - logical persuasion - and pathos - emotional appeal - to change the opinions of people who were for segregation and against civil rights. Although King was arrested for a nonviolent protest, he still found a way to justify his actions with the use of logos and pathos. MLK uses both ways to gain the attention and agreement of the audience but, he uses pathos not just more, but in a more relatable way in order to appeal to his audience.

“And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.” (MLK, 264).  Martin Luther King Jr. was a recognized activist in terms of supporting complete freedom for African Americans.   He was a well known author and public speaker who served as a shred of hope for many during the dark times in which racial prejudice was exercised.

During the era of the civil rights movements in the 60s, among the segregation, racism, and injustice against the blacks, Martin Luther King Jr. stood at the Lincoln Memorial to deliver one of the greatest public speeches for freedom in that decade. In Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech he effectively uses ethos, diction and powerful metaphors to express the brutality endured by African American people. Yet his most important method of reaching his audience, and conveying his enduring message of equality and freedom for the whole nation was his appeal to pathos. With these devices, King was able to move thousands of hearts and inspire the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Opening his speech Martin Luther King Jr. sets up his credibility with his use of ethos, referring to the Declaration of Independence saying, “This note was a promise that all men… would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life.”

Throughout his speech he implies a lot of metaphors to make his speech effective and influencing. For example, King constantly describes the Negroes as being “crippled” by the “manacles of segregation”, “Storms of Persecution,” and “chains of discrimination.” Through these metaphors King indicates the crises the Negroes face. A few of King’s strongest metaphors are his references to prejudice: “the quick sands of racial injustice”, the “heat of oppression”, “the dark and desolate valleys of segregation”, and the “chains of discrimination.” King also indicates the unbearable inequality by creating an image: “the sweltering summer of the negro’s discontent.”