Please help with this assignment!Thanks. I picked "Justice" I want to write about What is the moral aspect of Justice. Tell how can I write like the following below. Have to write like this and don't know how to go about it.Thanks!
Definition
Read the following example of the use of definition—and an opposition of definitions—by Martin Luther King in his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.”
Notice how King first draws the general distinction between just and unjust laws, and then applies the definitions to demonstrate that segregation laws are unjust. Notice, too, how he invokes the religious authority of Aquinas, a medieval scholar and Catholic saint, the Jewish scholar Martin Buber, and Paul Tillich, a profoundly influential twentieth-century Lutheran theologian.
How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of Harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas:
An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.
All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority. Segregation, to use the terminology of the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber, substitutes an "I-it" relationship for an "I-thou" relationship and ends up relegating persons to the status of things.
Hence segregation is not only politically, economically and sociologically unsound, it is morally wrong and sinful. Paul Tillich has said that sin is separation. Is not segregation an existential expression of man's tragic separation, his awful estrangement, his terrible sinfulness? Thus is it that I can urge men to obey the 1954 decision of the Supreme Court, for it is morally right; and I can urge them to disobey segregation ordinances, for they are morally wrong.
Questions:
1. What problem does King try to solve?
2. Why does he use definition as a principle strategy to accomplish this goal?
3. Why would he use famous theologians as his authorities for his definition of “just” laws?
To write about the moral aspect of justice, you can follow a similar approach as Martin Luther King Jr. in his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." Here's a breakdown of how you can structure your writing:
Introduction:
1. Start by introducing the topic of justice and its moral aspect.
2. Provide a brief overview of why exploring the moral aspect of justice is important.
Body:
1. Begin by discussing the problem you aim to solve. This could be the question of how to determine whether a law is just or unjust.
2. Use definition as a principle strategy to accomplish your goal by providing clear and concise definitions of just and unjust laws. You can use King's approach of defining just laws as those that align with the moral law or the law of God, while unjust laws are out of harmony with the moral law.
3. Explain why these definitions matter in the context of justice. Discuss how just laws uplift human personality, while unjust laws degrade it. Use examples and evidence to support your argument.
4. Discuss the moral implications of unjust laws. Explore how unjust laws can distort the soul, damage personality, and perpetuate false senses of superiority and inferiority. Draw from King's reference to Martin Buber's concept of "I-it" and "I-thou" relationships to highlight the dehumanizing effects of segregation laws.
5. Argue that segregation laws are morally wrong and sinful because they perpetuate separation and estrangement among individuals. Refer to Paul Tillich's notion of sin as separation to reinforce the moral condemnation of segregation.
6. Connect your arguments to the real-world by discussing the significance of obeying just laws and challenging unjust segregation ordinances. Highlight the moral duty individuals have to follow just laws and defy unjust ones.
Conclusion:
1. Summarize your main points and arguments regarding the moral aspect of justice.
2. Reinforce the importance of understanding and recognizing the moral implications of laws.
3. Conclude by encouraging readers to reflect on the role of justice and morality in society.
Now, let's address the specific questions:
1. The problem Martin Luther King Jr. tries to solve is how to determine whether a law is just or unjust.
2. He uses definition as a principle strategy to accomplish this goal because it allows him to clearly establish the criteria for assessing the justness of laws. By providing a definition, he sets a moral standard against which laws can be measured.
3. King uses famous theologians as his authorities for the definition of "just" laws to lend credibility and support to his argument. By referencing respected scholars and religious figures such as St. Thomas Aquinas, Martin Buber, and Paul Tillich, King appeals to both religious and academic authorities, reinforcing the validity and universality of his definition. The use of these authorities adds weight to his argument and helps strengthen his position on the moral aspect of justice.