Throughout history the greatest thinkers were not those who followed the crowd, they asked themselves why should we follow the crowd? Who decides whether to follow the crowd? What happens when you don't follow the crowd? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayThese thoughts, challenging the status quo, have made them infamous for some and beloved by others. But above all famous in history for having made a difference in some way. Following this criterion we see both Martin Luther King and Socrates, two of the most famous thinkers in history. They both pursued their own moral compass, stood up for what they thought was right, even making the ultimate sacrifice because of these decisions. Therefore I can conclude that both Martin Luther King and Socrates are similar in their pursuit of justice and truth, challenging the status quo. Martin Luther King is widely known as a figure of justice who fought for equality for African Americans, he was a radical. From the Latin meaning (radical - radix, meaning root), having this radical vision meant taking ancient, heady roots, and replacing them with new ones. This was exactly what he did when he challenged the status quo in his day. As he says: “I am convinced that [a] new life [for humanity] will not emerge until our nation undergoes a radical revolution of values. When machines and computers, profit motives, and property rights are deemed more important than people, [then] the gigantic trifectas of racism, economic exploitation, and militarism are incapable of defeat,” per MLK (short for Martin Luther King) it was important to look for the truth in the situation and see the three things he saw; racism, economic exploitation and militarism, to guide his path towards justice. This demonstrates his thinking methodology, which led him to the truth and the problem, which then indicated where he needed to improve. He took justice for his people, on himself, to the point of his own death. Socrates was a very important Greek philosopher at the time. He was a highly respected man, but at the same time hated, because he challenged the status quo. He approached it with a desire to find the truth and tried to question things. As Socrates is described in our class book, “Socrates vigorously opposed the opinions of the sophists. Insisting on the absolute nature of truth and justice, he described ethical life as belonging to a larger set of universal truths and an immutable moral order. ” (Fiero 101) the quote captures the very essence of Socrates and what made him the figure he was; justice and truth. All he ever wanted, and what his teachings revolved around, was to find the truth into things, through questions, and finding justice. Not only did he have a great impact on his time on the planet, but his teachings were passed down through his students and created other philosophers, such as Plato of the republic, a book written by Plato and inspired by Socrates: "Therefore my advice is to always stick to the heavenly path and always pursue justice and virtue", further underlining the importance that Socrates places on justice, he even died to ensure that he would be remembered for seeking justice, due to the ignorance of others Something that both MLK and Socrates shared, was the passion to seek justice, despite having to go against the status quo. In this respect they are similar, starting from Socrates' mission to teach everyone to discuss and face daily life with logic and reason, seeking"