I believe that Martin Luther King’s speeches are more convincing because his use of logic appeals to a wider audience. He also makes convincing arguments that appeal to the emotions and logic of everyone not only those that are religious. Malcolm X’s speeches also convince the audience effectively but use far more confusing logos and many more emotive words. Martin Luther King seems to be able to make arguments more succinctly.
Malcolm X is a well known black preacher and activist and makes strong moral arguments in his speech. He has a vested interest in changing things due to his position in the church. His religious back ground influences his ethos and moral judgments. An example is violence and killing not being accepted in any circumstances.
Malcolm X also condemns violence, and killing by using words that appeal to the sentiments and emotions of the audience. Instead of using words such as ‘killing black people’ he instead uses words such as ‘killing little black girls’. The killing of a little girl would be the killing of innocence, something that a wider audience is against. The speaker also gives justification for defending black people domestically by arguing that the government has made black people defend white people abroad by using violence. Black people should be able to defend their people in a similar manner in their own country.
Malcolm X demonstrates logos in his speeches. His speech about the brotherhood of men could be seen as logical by all people. A person not wasting time treating someone right who doesn’t know how to return the treatment is very logical to any audience.
Martin Luther King is also an activist and preacher. He argues that he will not stoop to the level of the white people that have used violence against his people. His religious background condemns violence and killing. This is shown in his moral arguments and ethos.
The speaker also uses arguments for love overcoming hatred and light overcoming darkness. They are both strong emotions that all people can identify with emotionally. He is using words in his speech that are used in religious preaching that overcome violence, hatred and killing.
Martin Luther King also uses many logical arguments or logos. The speaker argues that violence is a ‘descending spiral’ because trying to murder the ‘hater ‘or the ‘liar’ does not stop hate or lies. Violence increases violence because the real problems of ‘hate’ or lies’ still exist even when violence has happened.
“You may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate, nor establish love.”
It makes a strong emotion like hatred seem like something that is completely pointless and not logical.
The most compelling line of Malcolm X is
“How can you justify being nonviolent in Mississippi and Alabama, when your churches are being bombed, and your little girls are being murdered, and at the same time you are going to get violent with Hitler, and Tojo, and somebody else you don't even know?”
It makes the reader question their actions and also makes the audience emotional by using words like ‘little girls are being murdered’.
