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Question: Can someone give me a non-theistic/non-religious explanation of why slavery is wrong!? !?
Now in his writings Darwin suggested that the civilized would wipe out the uncivilized (survival of tooth and claw etc!.) and Nietzsche said that "The morality of 'equal rights' is a herd morality, and because it opposes the cultivation of superior individuals, it leads to the corruption of the human species"!.
Pt!.1
So given those constraints can anyone come up with a reason why it would be wrong for a stronger race (weapons, numbers, technology!.!.) to commit genocide and enslave the survivors!?
Pt!.2
What are you using as a basis of your concept of it being wrong!?
Just so you don't think I am excluding the theistic answers on prejudice I think C!.S!. Lewis summed it up in his statement "Christ died for men precisely because men are not worth dying for; to make them worth it!.", if you have more to add I would be interested too!.
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Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Humans are rational beings!.
We posses individually self aware consciousness minds!.
It should be self evident that this entitles individuals with certain rights, to include self ownership!.
But there is much philosophy dealing with the subject of rights, and slavery is considered a violation of rights!.
"Nietzsche said that "The morality of 'equal rights' is a herd morality, and because it opposes the cultivation of superior individuals"
Nietzsche makes a point but humans are dependent upon a social structure for our survival!.
also human rights are preserved with rational egoism!.
But the term rational should be stressed!.
Every human alive owes a debt to social structure, an infant human is not equipped to survive long without at least one other human to insure its survival!.
You can call this "herd mentality" if you like, but it is still a fact about nature!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Because it is exploitation of someone else!.!.!. its servitude through force and arbitrary law, and not by individual debt or personal choice!. Furthermore, any act is unethical if it is rationalized with misunderstanding, misconception, ignorance, pride, or fear; particularly if correcting that failing is deliberately ignored or neglected, consciously or otherwise!. Justifications must be proven and fact-based, not merely opinionated and arrogance-based!. Likewise, hypocrisy is unethical!. If one believes in slavery, one must also believe that their own enslavement is justifiable!. Failure to reconcile this, or any, double standard is sufficient cause to deny its ethical qualities!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Because it is wrong to enslave someone against their will and to treat a defenseless slave cruelly!!! It has nothing to do with religion, it is just purely unethical!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Right and wrong are variable quantities!. Some societies like ancient Rome actively endorced slavery!. The same goes for canibalism!. there is no logical reason to outlaw it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
if you were a slave to someone with nothing but evil thoughts on theirmind!.!.!. i bet you could answer the uestion better than anyone!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
interesting question
subjucation, ownership,addiction, come to mind, however consider the rights of a pregnant woman to make decisions concerning her about to be born child!.
because she owns the right to make decisions about her child!.!.!.is that a form of slavery!.
if indentured service can be considered wrong because of the notion of slavery comes into the discussion!.!.!. is it wrong if it (indentured service) results in an "improvement" to the overall wellness of the "indenturee"
i'm thinking you have failed to adequately define your meaning of the word slavery!. are you referring to the condition of ownership!.!.!.or!.!.!.the treatment of a person described as a slave!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I can't work within those constraints because I don't agree with them!. I think Uncle Ben beats Nietzsche when he says "with great power comes great responsibility"!. Humans aren't inbuilt with rights, we have power and therefore we have responsibility!. By fulfilling our responsibility we have privileges!. Privileges, not rights!.
As for the civilised ‘wiping out’ the uncivilised, if they did that they wouldn’t be civilised in the first place!. The reference is not in context, if Darwin was referring to more advanced creatures dominating lesser ones than he is correct up to the point where the most advanced creatures realise they don’t have rights to overpower, but responsibilities to judge fairly!.
Pt!. 1: It would be wrong for a ‘stronger’ race to overpower another race because there is a small part of each person, sometimes known as the ‘conscience’, which dictates what is right and wrong in the context of humanity!. Religious principles are based on it, not the other way around!. The main feature of this human conscience is empathy; the subconscious acknowledgement that we all feel the same pain!.
Pt!. 2: Logic I guess!. Mainly I guess!.Www@QuestionHome@Com