Why is slavery wrong?

[variant]

You've defined the verb form, which is actually significantly less problematic than the adjective form

You would have to explain to me the problem.

Being wronged is generally encountered in verb form, and it is a synonym for being harmed.

Since we can all agree that being enslaved is being harmed, it should not be so hard to use the synonym.

Or are you going to ask me why it is wrong to harm people?

 

[The Nihilist]

Or are you going to ask me why it is wrong to harm people?

basically

 

[variant]

basically

Well ok.

Wrong is a socially created term, it doesn’t exist for hermits.

Societies don't work (generally as well) when the members feel free to harm each other at will, thus value is created in workable societies.

This value gets attached to a word like wrong and we use it to denote actions with generally harm each other or society.

Thus it is wrong to harm others.

 

[quatona]

I mean, I'm willing to include being forced to do something under the umbrella of what is generally unpleasant.

Um, ok, I wouldn´t be willing to make categories that broad, but if accepting this terminology I think "unpleasant" things are "wrong".
Now, you could say that a medical surgery is unpleasant but not wrong, and I would agree, but since were the one to exclude subtle conceptual distinctions by only admitting one category ("unpleasant"), I guess I can´t help it. Results of your considerations can only be as differenciated as your conceptual distinctions allow for.

But this is the key issue, isn't it? What makes a thing wrong?

The fact that the person whom it is done to doesn´t want it to be done to her.

If your point in asking is to demonstrate that we all start from basic assumptions - axioms - that we can not logically support, you are carrying coals to Newcastle.
If you feel that treating others as your property and forcing them into whatever is just fine, we simply will have to agree to disagree.

 

[Sojourner<><]

why is this true?

It's a basic principle by which any community can exist in peace.

 

[The Nihilist]

It's a basic principle by which any community can exist in peace.

Not a community of masochists.
Seriously, though, why does that make it good? Not every society wants to exist in peace.

 

[Sojourner<><]

Not a community of masochists.
Seriously, though, why does that make it good? Not every society wants to exist in peace.

If you don't want to be stolen from, assaulted or exploited, you would consider anyone who does these things to you to have wronged you, wouldn't you? If that's true and you have any sense of fairness at all you should also consider it wrong to do those things to other people. Conversely the same would be true concerning receiving and doing things that you consider to be 'right'.

 

[ChristianCenturion]

First off, too many here has their general idea of slavery wrong. It involves more than just what happened in pre-historic civil war.

Now, though this may be hard to comprehend in todays world, would you support slavery if the conditions of the slave were better than if he had been free?

Also, any time you buy something from China, you are most likely supporting slavery (ok, so using China was a stereotype, but you get the point). Economic slavery still exist in todays world, and you probably support it without knowing you do so.

It takes some fortitude to point out what you are mentioning there.
Good for you.

Unfortunately, there has been and will be a knee-jerk reaction to it and you'll get a bunch of complaints unwilling to concede that there are other types of slavery or even if there is any way slavery can not be harmful, bad, evil or whatever the negative adjective is going to be. The latter resistence probably being dependent on a value system where the person can or should do what they want, when they want as highest.

 

[The Nihilist]

If you don't want to be stolen from, assaulted or exploited, you would consider anyone who does these things to you to have wronged you, wouldn't you? If that's true and you have any sense of fairness at all you should also consider it wrong to do those things to other people. Conversely the same would be true concerning receiving and doing things that you consider to be 'right'.

I follow your reasoning, but what if a society has a caste system? Then what you're saying wouldn't really apply. Similarly, some societies have allowed for killing under certain circumstances. Do you want to say that no one in these societies had any sense of fairness?

 

[R3quiem]

It's wrong because it violates the Golden Rule. Pretty simple really, if you'd rather not be a slave, then slavery is wrong. Nobody besides possibly a few ill people with huge social dependency issues would ever want to be a slave, so therefore it is wrong.

Slavery takes away the meaning to be human. You work for someone else, your existence is to serve another human. You are beneath them and have no freedom to pursue your one happiness. It's nearly impossible to find any sort of sense of achievement. Even if the slave has good conditions, it still is very damaging mentally and emotionally.

 

[NavyGuy7]

I follow your reasoning, but what if a society has a caste system? Then what you're saying wouldn't really apply. Similarly, some societies have allowed for killing under certain circumstances. Do you want to say that no one in these societies had any sense of fairness?

What's a caste system? (sorry, no joke...this time....)
And who says society is perfect, where everything is fair? LIFE is unfair, and that is that. Though... slavery's still wrong.

 

[variant]

What's a caste system? (sorry, no joke...this time....)

And who says society is perfect, where everything is fair? LIFE is unfair, and that is that. Though... slavery's still wrong.

A caste system is society that has different rights depending on your birth status.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste

Cast systems break down when the rules keeping them in place break down because people naturally don't like being treated like they are worthless because of who their parents are.

Life may be unfair, but humanity has a sense of fairness that can be appealed to, and unnecessary unfairness is thus inappropriate.

Fairness in society helps it work, it helps us work together and not feel exploited or disgruntled because we don't all play by the same rules. Society simply works better when there is more fairness, thus it is desirable.

We have built a society that is much more complex than the ones that contained outright slavery. Slavery is thus a very unnecessary unfair condition which is detrimental to a large portion of the population and society at large.

 

[NavyGuy7]

Ah. So that's what a caste (cast?) system is. Thx for clarifying.

 

[The Nihilist]

A caste system is society that has different rights depending on your birth status.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste

Cast systems break down when the rules keeping them in place break down because people naturally don't like being treated like they are worthless because of who their parents are.

Life may be unfair, but humanity has a sense of fairness that can be appealed to, and unnecessary unfairness is thus inappropriate.

Fairness in society helps it work, it helps us work together and not feel exploited or disgruntled because we don't all play by the same rules. Society simply works better when there is more fairness, thus it is desirable.

We have built a society that is much more complex than the ones that contained outright slavery. Slavery is thus a very unnecessary unfair condition which is detrimental to a large portion of the population and society at large.

My favorite part is that you left out moral categories

 

[NavyGuy7]

He was merely simplifying it. So I don't mind if he didn't go in depth. Don't slam him for explaining stuff. I know all about the "divine right" error of the monarchies way back when. HOWEVER, make sure not to leave anything significant out, even if it would only seem significant to a Christian such as me. I don't have time to visit all the wikis, what with all these threads.

Besides, I like having fun with it. It being debating/arguing/whatever you want to call it.

 

[The Nihilist]

He was merely simplifying it. So I don't mind if he didn't go in depth. Don't slam him for explaining stuff. I know all about the "divine right" error of the monarchies way back when. HOWEVER, make sure not to leave anything significant out, even if it would only seem significant to a Christian such as me. I don't have time to visit all the wikis, what with all these threads.

Besides, I like having fun with it. It being debating/arguing/whatever you want to call it.

No, I was being sincere. Moral categories are an insurmountable philosophical quagmire, and I'm glad he avoided it altogether.

 

[Tynan]

I'm having trouble with this concept. Why is slavery wrong? Not just because of poor conditions and abuse, because I wouldn't support slavery even if you had the best working conditions. Help a thoroughly befuddled kid out here.

What is 'wrong' ?

 

[morningstar2651]

I'm having trouble with this concept. Why is slavery wrong? Not just because of poor conditions and abuse, because I wouldn't support slavery even if you had the best working conditions. Help a thoroughly befuddled kid out here.

I dunno either. Now get off your computer, wash my laundry and do my homework or I'll flog you.

And not in the kinky way.

Does this sound reasonable? Equitable?

 

[chaoschristian]

I'm having trouble with this concept. Why is slavery wrong? Not just because of poor conditions and abuse, because I wouldn't support slavery even if you had the best working conditions. Help a thoroughly befuddled kid out here.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

 

[Nooj]

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

But that's a human document. Is 'wrong' determined by a document drafted by humans?