Read the excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. How does King support this claim in the rest of his letter?

King explains that nonviolent tension can prompt people to examine their assumptions and move toward understanding. He compares this process to Socrates’ use of questions to create intellectual tension, and he points to historical examples of people challenging unjust ideas. Thus, he supports his claim by quoting Socrates and establishing a historical precedent; he does not mainly describe sit-ins or violent tension.

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