Examining the Lives of Socrates, Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X - Essay Example

 In the case of Socrates, it was his influence on the Athenian youth that upset the upper-level powers that ultimately put him to death. In the instances of Dr. King and Malcolm X, they work towards upsetting the status quo through fighting, albeit in different ways, for equal rights.

In Letters from a Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. speaks of a creative tension that must exist for true social progress to occur. In discussing this creative tension, King has been addressing criticism he has received for protests in which took part in with which he has been imprisoned for. The general theme of his letter is to address the reasons for this non-violent protest. When he reaches the part that refers to creative tension, he is actually referring to the necessity of protest to bring individuals to the negotiating table.

This is in essence the creative tension that King is referring to; it is not a violent way of sparking negotiation or change, but a non-violent yet direct means of creatively producing tension in the social environment so that political powers will take notice and engage in meaningful discussion. C) Creative tension is demonstrated in both the lives of Socrates and Martin Luther King Jr. As is noted above, Martin Luther King’s understanding of creative tension is a non-violent protest that leads to the implementation of social change.

In ‘Letters from a Birmingham Jail’ King brilliantly elucidates his stance on this issue as he demonstrates the reasons behind his engaging in the non-violent protest, One of the basic points in your statement is that the action that I and my associates have taken in Birmingham is untimely. Some have asked: "Why didn't you give the new city administration time to act?" The only answer that I can give to this query is that the new Birmingham administration must be prodded about as much as the outgoing one before it will act.

We are sadly mistaken if we feel that the election of Albert Boutwell as mayor will bring the millennium to Birmingham (King). Here King is demonstrating that the protest was necessary so that the mayor would agree to negotiate. In Socrates, one sees a slightly different incarnation of creative tension. Both Socrates and Dr. King demonstrate a willingness to challenge society based on a belief that there are aspects of the social order that must be overturned to enact a more fair and balanced means of existence.

In the Apology, Socrates states, For know that this is the command of God; and I believe that no greater good has ever happened in the state than my service to the God. For I do nothing but go about persuading you all, old and young alike, not to take thought for your persons or your properties, but first and chiefly to care about the greatest improvement of the soul (Plato 30a). In these regards, Socrates' version of creative tension is much more closely linked to a belief in a higher state of consciousness that must be followed rather than the constructs of the social order.

While Socrates is speaking to society at large, his message of creative tension is ultimately a more personal one. Socrates is indicating that one should improve their soul and follow this path to genuine existence and knowledge even at the cost of death. D) When considering Malcolm X, one notes that his ultimate goal is similar to Dr. King’s in that both men desire equal rights for the races. With Malcolm X, the main difference is his extremity, as he believes this should be achieved at all costs, even violence.