Should Slave Contracts be Legal - 1278 Words

Even 150 years after the abolition of slavery, it is still a hot button issue as to its lasting effects on racial relations and social hierarchy to this very day. While no sane, intelligent person would claim that the mass enslavement of Africans, Native Americans, or other nationalities and races was a good thing, simply due to human rights violations and the philosophical invention of racism, philosophers as recent as Robert Nozick are able to ask a different question with a similar moral implication: should someone be able to legally sell themselves into slavery free of coercion? While many philosophers disagree with Nozick’s affirmation of slave contracts, if principles of self-ownership are applied, it is apparent that slave contracts†¦show more content†¦Specifically, John Locke says in his work Two Tretises of Government â€Å"For a Man, not having the Power of his own Life, cannot, by Compact or his own Consent, enslave himself to any one, nor put himself und er the Absolute, Arbitrary Power of another, to take away his Life, when he pleases.† This idea of divine authority is what leads me to believe that the church guided Locke’s philosophy a different direction than it would have gone without outside coercion. In context, Locke’s philosophies were written in 1690, long before the atheist revolution within the philosophical community in the post-Darwinian era of science. Furthermore, without the fundamental assumption of God his theory cannot stand. This is even more important than possible beliefs Locke may have if born in a different time, because modern philosophy has dictated that the concept of God and philosophy must be made separate because one cannot ever truly know if a God exists. This rule that dictates a separation of church and philosophy has existed since the philosophical teachings of Friedrich Nietzsche were accepted into the philosophical community, and these more modern acceptances counter an older culture. Therefore, Locke does not make a convincing argument based on the fact his philosophies aren’t valid in a more progressive society. Another philosopher who makes argument against the concept of voluntary slavery is John Stuart Mill, known for coining the termShow MoreRelatedLiving Behind the Obscurities of Slavery764 Words   |  4 Pagesacres and a mule’ so they could start life anew.† (Tolman, 2013) The former slaves were dependent on society to contribute profoundly as their ancestors provided unto the slavery system; however, the principle was to unrestrained vassals, not provide for them. Did the slave masters illustrate affection toward their unrestrictive survival? Of course not, the controllers’ needs were no longer being fulfilled, so why resources should be given to their â€Å"unequal†? Yes, African Americans were incompetent toRead MoreThe Hardship Of American Slavery1082 Words   |  5 Pagesforeign country. The slaves reall y had a hard time with their lives. Many Americans ruined African Americans’ lives by treating them as lesser beings and using them for their own needs, this not only takes away their freedom but also their dignity and since the Americans took away the slave’s freedom, they shall not deserve any themselves. The slaves were treated poorly and often beaten so the slaves would stay obedient to their master. â€Å"The diary of Bennet H. Barrow, a slave owner from LouisianaRead MoreThe Souls Of Black Folk1236 Words   |  5 PagesDu Bois’ quote, â€Å"What after all, am I? Am I an American or am I Negro? Can I be both?† (1897) is something I have personally struggled with all my life. This question can be answered in two different time periods. To Du Bois the ideal, what Negroes should strive for, would be to be both. But in his time this was impossible due to institutionalized and taught racism. Today I feel like it is possible to be both; however it is not exactly what I feel Du Bois had in mind. Du Bois argues in his book TheRead MoreThe Rousseau s Thesis And Social Contract1548 Words   |  7 PagesTo better understand Rousseau’s thesis and social contract he proposed, we must first understand why Rousseau felt compelled to write and his main criticism of society during the 18th century. In sum, Rousseau argued that states (specifically France, though never explicitly stated) have not protected man’s right to freedom or equality. Rousseau began The Social Contract in dramatic fashion. He wrote, â€Å"man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains† (1). This quote is still used today, and isRead MoreEssay about Slavery by Another Name1282 Words   |  6 PagesRoanoke, the thought of chattel slavery had neither a clear law nor economic practice with the English. However by the end of that following century, the demand for slaves in the English colonies including the Chesapeake, Barbados, Pennsylvania and the Carolinas was so great and the majority of labor was carried out by West African slaves. The argument of whether Native Americans could also be used as a form of labor for the plantation societies of the English colonies is one that was long disputedRead MoreMoral Conflict Within The United States Constitution1499 Wo rds   |  6 Pagesbefore has a legal case caused me so much moral conflict within; a runaway slave in the state of Indiana so close to freedom yet faced with the impending possibility of being returned back to servitude stands before me in the Court. As a moral human being, I want nothing more than to ignore the law and allow the runaway to live out his days as a free man. But as a judge dedicated to serving my country through the Court, I cannot ignore that the law is binding and that the Fugitive Slave clause of theRead MoreIndentured Servitude : A Legal, Written Contract Binding One Party1143 Words   |  5 PagesIndentured Servitude An indenture was a legal, written contract binding one party into the service of another for a specified term.(1) The system of Indenture and Indentured servants was introduced in Colonial America to meet the growing demand for cheap, plentiful labor in the colonies. The indentured servants worked for no wage; instead they worked for basic necessities such as food, clothing and a place to live. (2) Even though slaves existed in the English Colonies in the 1600s, many farmersRead MoreEssay on History of Slavery in the Caribbean720 Words   |  3 Pages. The master’s had total freedom and control over his or her slaves. As a result of this behavior they were able to run successful sugar plantations that resembled modern day factories. Until the end of the 18th century many sugar estates used the gang system. The owner treated hundreds of slaves as units of production. Many plantation owners had a very profitable and prosperous business, but it was expense of human lives. Slaves working in the sugar cane fields always faced the most brutalRead MoreIndentured Servants During The Colonization Era1245 Words   |  5 PagesDuring the colonization era, most of the laborers came from Great Britain as indentured servants. An indentured servant is a person that signed a contract to pay for their passage to America by working. They usually worked on a farm since the colonies were based on agriculture. These servants were young laborers that intended on becoming permanent residents of the Chesapeake Bay settlements. Some servant owners treated them the same way they treated their family members, whether it was good or badRead MoreAfricans in America: the Terrible Transformation Response/Reflection1605 Words   |  7 Pageswas brought to America, and of the conditions under which these slaves were forced to live. The trade that began in Africa was not initially focused on trading humans, but rather on gold. Gradually, the British took control and started traff icking Africans to their colonies in America. The conditions slaves lived under changed drastically from the original conditions when they first arrived to America compared to years after the slave trade had been functioning. This documentary re-examines the appalling