Political Views of Martin Luther King and Friedrich A.Hayek Essay

Political Views of Martin Luther King and Friedrich A.Hayek - Essay Example People needed to be actively democratic especially then, since the barriers of racial segregation were being broken down. Desegregation to him was shallow and empty, and integration was the ultimate goal. To him, â€Å"Integration is a genuine intergroup, an interpersonal doing† (King, 118). Therefore, desegregation is a means towards integration. Integration to him was everyone’s right by the nature of him being human. According to Martin, life demanded freedom. Denial of freedom was denial of life itself. This is first the capacity to weigh and deliberate alternatives, make one’s own decisions and be responsible for one’s own action. He argued that a person’s nature of life is altered when he is denied his freedom, because freedom is a basis for a person’s life (King, 121). Martin Luther King Jr. said Americans should realize that the burden placed upon Negro citizens was the inability to vote. According to him, the right to vote was a powe rful tool for change. He suggested that there should be a law allowing all people to vote and that literacy tests should be abolished especially in areas where education was inferior and in a poor state. Purpose, which was the only way to acquire change politically, socially and economically, could only be attained by understanding power properly. He suggested that the solution to fight poverty was to eliminate it directly through guaranteed earnings. This, according to him, can be done through the creation of full time employment and incomes. Additionally, people must be made consumers in one way or another. The belief here is that when poverty is eliminated, other problems like housing will also be eliminated. Friedrich August Von Hayek is also a Nobel Memorial Prize winner, and a renowned... This essay describes main political beliefs of Martin Luther King and Friedrich A. Hayek, whose ideas greatly influenced liberal arts development. Martin Luther King Jr. thought, that Americans should realize that the burden placed upon Negro citizens was the inability to vote. The right to vote was a powerful tool for change. He suggested that there should be a law allowing all people to vote. He suggested that the solution to fight poverty was to eliminate it directly through guaranteed earnings. This, according to him, can be done through the creation of full time employment and incomes. The belief here is that when poverty is eliminated, other problems like housing will also be eliminated. According to Martin, life demanded freedom. Denial of freedom was denial of life itself. This is first the capacity to weigh and deliberate alternatives, make one’s own decisions and be responsible for one’s own action. Friedrich A. Hayek believed, that a free society calls for general rules that predict and constrain coercive powers of individuals and the government. Individuals are also empowered to develop and follow their own life plans.Friedrich examines contemporary policies such as taxation, healthcare, social security, housing, natural resources, urban planning and education in the same light of principles developed in his earlier studies. Friedrich opposes policies that aim at wealth redistribution or social justice, and is very willing for the government to provide an immense range of social services.