Aristotle and Martin Luther King, Jr

Paper Summary:

This is a comparative philosophy paper on how Aristotle's ethical views of justice correlate to the beliefs expressed in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail. The paper ultimately correlates King's just vs. unjust beliefs and Aristotle's corrective justice and absolute justice. While the majority of the paper examines King's views in relation to absolute justice; the conclusion correlates his incarceration not merely to holding a parade without a permit, but to Aristotle's views on corrective justice.

From the Paper:

"In Aristotle's ethical philosophy, he refers to justice in two ways: general and a special sense ("Aristotle"). As it relates to Martin Luther King, Jr. and his letter from the Birmingham jail, it is Aristotle's general sense of justice that we highlight. Observance of the law is central to Aristotle's general sense of justice and believed that justice was displayed in two forms: distributive and corrective("Aristotle"). In relation to Martin Luther King, Jr. and his fight for equality, the second form, corrective justice is focused on. Corrective justice is not concerned with the position of the independent individuals or communities involved prior to the administration of corrective justice; it only knows that the goal is to secure equality for all ("Aristotle"). Corrective justice reduces the advantages of the one and supplements the disadvantages of..."

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