“A Triumph for Moral Authority,” by Isabel Hilton was published in an issue of the Independent (November 15, 2010) as part of the opinion column. This work discusses the impact of a protester’s moral authority and what kind of change (if any) it may lead to. It gives a look into what the possible outcomes may result because of activist actions. The article addressing moral authority by Isabel Hilton is astonishing and very informative due to the author’s ability to present well-structured ideas for each paragraph along with a strong and appropriate use of evidence. In her article Hilton discusses the then recent appearance in public of Aung San Suu Kyi, a former winner of the Nobel Peace Prize who was previously punished after demanding more democracy from those who now rule her nation. She describes the reaction those who were able to obtain a glimpse of Kyi as, “…millions around the world caught their first glimpse of this resolute and courageous woman, who has borne her nearly two decades of confinement with dignity and integrity of purpose…” (pg. 899). Hilton goes on to ponder on what kind of impact an activists’ moral authority could potentially have. She states examples of the situations of other well-known protestors like Nelson Mandela, whose actions went on to impact an entire …show more content…
The author continuously relies on a series of factual events that relate to what her particular arguments are. She attempts to prove to the reader that acting because of moral authority is what brings some of the biggest changes in society today. She states, “There are as many reasons to hope as to fear a new disappointment…” (pg.899) demonstrating to the reader than a protesters’ actions will not always result in a positive outcome. The style chosen by the author suits her purpose of giving the reader a clear view on what moral authority is and how it can impact the
The 1960’s was at its height in the civil rights movement. Activists and protesters used the power of nonviolence for the movement. Unfortunately, when violence is used, it can result in death, which is the fate Dr. King saw. Cesar Chavez agrees that nonviolence is the key to any activist movement. In Chavez’s article, he chooses ethos and activistic diction as his rhetorical strategies to develop his argument about nonviolent resistance.
“Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups tend to be more immoral than individuals” (King 13) exemplifies the way in which King uses someone else whom is more trustworthy in the eyes of the clergymen to describe his argument. This piece is used by King to explain how groups of higher status do not give up their privileged rights, even when they should; this furthers King’s argument that his demonstrations were in fact necessary for progress. “We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was ‘legal’ and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was ‘illegal’” (King 23) is also an example in which King
By dismantling the clergymen’s claim, King proves the innocence and integrity of his actions. In another attempt at criticizing him, the clergymen claim that King must advocate for protesters to adhere to and comply with all laws, regardless of their opinions, because he constantly demands for peaceful protest. However, he refutes this statement by alluding to St. Augustine’s belief “that ‘an unjust law is no law at all’” (King 4). St. Augustine’s comment on the legitimacy of a law signifies that if a law is immoral or degrades the human character, then the law is deemed invalid and should never have been instituted in the first place.
Project Report: Oral History and the History of the Civil Rights Movement - Kim Lacy Rogers, The Journal of American History, Vol. 75, No. 2 (1988), pp. 567-576 The civil rights movement of the early 1960s was one of the most significant events in the modern history of the United States, one that has elicited much examination and research by historians. An era that saw the power and influence of the movement play an integral role in the eradication of legalised segregation and the disenfranchisement of African Americans. Given the historic importance of the civil rights movement, this paper aims to examine Dr Kim Lacy Rogers ‘Oral History and the History of the Civil Rights Movement’, published in the Journal of American History in 1988.
Appeal to history is used as an argument that use past cases as a guide to the future. It is used by the author in the article when he looks back at nonviolent protests in the past and how successful they can be over violence. One example being Gandhi’s marches in which he taught that “[t]he boycott…is the most nearly perfect instrument of nonviolent change, allowing masses of people to participate actively in a cause” (Chavez 61-64). Chavez also states that if victory were attained through violence, it “…would come at the expense of injury or perhaps death” and it will only be temporary as it will just “… [replace] one violent form of power with just another just as violent” (Chavez 67-68, 75-77). The author makes it clear that history has proven the nonviolent protests holds more leverage as the oppression it is against, whereas violence can only lead to injuries and deaths of many and only result in a similar or worse
He also very systematically explains the thinking process of the people involved in the various nonviolent demonstrations. However, in contrast to his previously succinct and to the point sentences, paragraph 14 contains an extremely long and detailed sentence. Here, he also changes from simply addressing the reader to actually attempting to put the reader
During the civil rights movement, civil rights leader; Cesar Chavez wrote and published an article to a magazine of a religious organization. Chavez claims that “nonviolence is more powerful than violence” itself. His essay contains many rhetorical appeals and strategies that contribute to him convincing his readers about nonviolence resistance - meaning that they should stop violence and resolve a conflict in peace. Adding on to that line, he makes them feel sympathetic.
In a magazine article by Cesar Chavez on the 10th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, Chavez discusses the advantages of nonviolent resistance versus violent resistance, arguing that “nonviolence is more powerful than violence.” Chavez successfully develops his argument for nonviolent resistance by utilizing the rhetorical strategies of repetition and allusion. Chavez utilizes the rhetorical strategy of repetition throughout the article, repeating words like “nonviolent” and “we” to develop his and others’ stance on nonviolent resistance. Whenever Chavez states the word “nonviolent”, it is usually followed by its positive effects. For example, in the quote “nonviolence supports you if you have a just moral cause,” the word nonviolence is stated and is followed by its positive effect of supporting those with a righteous reasoning,
In the passage from "Civil Disobedience," the author, Thoreau, utilizes rhetorical devices to support his theme. Such devices include tone and diction. The theme expressed in the text is that the government is in need of change and acceptance, not a replacement. The author conveys a serious and professional tone throughout the passage. This helps add more to the seriousness of the subject and theme created which is the government needs change and acceptance, not a replacement.
The clergymen claimed that their actions can lead to violence, despite being peaceful. But as he pointed out, “But is this a logical assertion? Isn't this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery?”. He used a very simple example to show that their protests are not purposefully
Chavez also links a relationship between him and his religious audience by mentioning “that human life is a very special possession given by God.” Appealing to the audience through respectful leaders and religious references, Chavez briefly starts to develop his argument on nonviolence. He uses the appeal to shift into his argument “that nonviolence is more powerful than violence” in the next paragraph. Chavez backs up this idea by providing the effects of violence which can cause
Irish author Oscar Wilde claimed that disobedience is a valuable human trait, and that it promotes social progress; thus, without it, social progress would not be made. Civil disobedience is to social progress as hard work is to academic success. With hard work comes academic success, and with civil disobedience comes social progress. Though some see disobedience as a negative trait, it is what has promoted social progress in history by challenging social standards and requiring new social rules to be made. Civil disobedience challenges social standards by expanding views on the current guidelines.
Political activists and philosophers alike have a challenging task of determining the conditions under which citizens are morally entitled to go against the law. Socrates and Martin Luther King, Jr. had different opinions on the obligation of the citizens in a society to obey the law. Although they were willing to accept the legal punishment, King believed that there are clear and definable circumstances where it would be appropriate, and sometimes mandatory, to purposely disobey unjust laws. Socrates did not. Socrates obeyed what he considered to be an unjust verdict because he believed that it was his obligation, as a citizen of Athens, to persuade or obey its Laws, no matter how dire the consequences.
Intolerance to injustice stands as a key component of American identity. If authority upholds just action, ethical progress can be made. This progress includes authority’s principled decision making and respect for its citizens. Progress is forward or onward movement toward a destination of nationwide justice. An individual’s civil disobedience to unjust authority promotes positive progress within America.
As kids people get taught what is wrong and right from a parental figure or experiences of life teach us how to react to different situations. When we finally turn adults no one is there to remind us of what’s good and what's bad so we have to use our past experiences and our knowledge to help guide us. Each adult shapes their societies for their generation and many more generations to come. Mohandas k. Gandhi and Susan B Anthony’s speech along with the article Selma to Montgomery March on history show that civil disobedience is a moral responsibility.