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What I've failed to understand is why slaves never killed off their masters, even when they outnumbered them 10-to-1 or more. If I could go back in time and change an aspect of human nature, it would be to get people to never, ever accept authority of any type. That would have prevented any sort of class society to develop, and feudalism would have never developed as the potential serfs would immediately wipe out anyone that tried to control them...lol. It's still my dream that the workers over in China will stage a massive revolt, shutting down all those factories that make iPhones and other assorted trinkets for the West. We're already seeing some signs of this, with flash strikes and so forth - so there's hope to be had.
One long-held fantasy I've had is that the Civil War was never fought and slavery lasted until the 1880's, until which the slaves banded together and overthrew their masters in an extremely bloody coup, establishing a Free Black State in the southern states. The newly-empowered blacks would control all aspects of life in this new state - education, business, agriculture, and of course government. The newly disenfranchised whites would then have to immigrate to the United States or just accept being the underclass of the new society, subject to heavy discrimination and the like.
Just a fantasy, I know, but it's nice to dream of what could have been...
I was also going to point out that MANY look at marriage as a subsitute for enslaving another.
We can ask the same questions about what is right....is it acceptable for a slave/spouse to kill it's master? Or hit the master?
What would be the acceptable punishment for a spouse that did these things?
The origion of marriage is the 'selling' of the bride to the groom. Daughters value was in the contacts and connections they could make by forced marriage. It didn't matter if they were twelve. Many were married off at fourteen. The groom was often forced as well. Families settled on a good exchange and it was done. This was why only the bride had a ring. It symbolized the hold of the groom and family over her.
It was only recently that situations where abusive husbands who broke their wives who finally saved themselves by killing the husband were recognized as special cases.
What I've failed to understand is why slaves never killed off their masters, even when they outnumbered them 10-to-1 or more. If I could go back in time and change an aspect of human nature, it would be to get people to never, ever accept authority of any type. That would have prevented any sort of class society to develop, and feudalism would have never developed as the potential serfs would immediately wipe out anyone that tried to control them...lol. It's still my dream that the workers over in China will stage a massive revolt, shutting down all those factories that make iPhones and other assorted trinkets for the West. We're already seeing some signs of this, with flash strikes and so forth - so there's hope to be had.
One long-held fantasy I've had is that the Civil War was never fought and slavery lasted until the 1880's, until which the slaves banded together and overthrew their masters in an extremely bloody coup, establishing a Free Black State in the southern states. The newly-empowered blacks would control all aspects of life in this new state - education, business, agriculture, and of course government. The newly disenfranchised whites would then have to immigrate to the United States or just accept being the underclass of the new society, subject to heavy discrimination and the like.
Just a fantasy, I know, but it's nice to dream of what could have been...
It's not so simple as just killing them. The cost would be losing their own life and possible punishment of family and others. It would be a thing to weigh. And part of survival of the fittest is to know when to fight. If people were wired where all people would not accept marginalization and would perhaps not see self preservation or the survival of others who mattered, we'd simply not have society. Its wired in us for some to be suboridnate. Psychology, and the necessities of survival can push people into their own self created captivity which is stronger than any which is imposed on the outside. Look at abused women who lie to themselves that its not that bad, that it will be okay and *can't* leave. And will go back to the abuser if rescued. It's the same thing.
No, not all will fall for this. But those who would be uncontrollable get weeded out early, or in an ongoing system are conditioned from birth to toe the line. This is the same psychology that pushes the non-conformist to keep their non-conforming private.
But 1880, I think slavery would have gone away anyway. It would have been replaced by something else, most likely some form of servitude with paper freedom. But what held the large holders of slaves to fight so hard against its loss was the intense need for labor. Technological advances by the 1880's had already begun to change agriculture. At some point the need for a lot of working hands would be reduced, and it would make no sense for them to need to keep them. Likely, something like tenant farming would have come, as it did after the war. Those who could work did, the rest it wasn't the genry's problem. But if there had been a rebellion, and it had led to a massacar and large loss of life, I think this new state would never have been since the mass of the military would have wiped it out. This did happen in the Carabean, but there it was largely on islands and the colonial system was breaking down. In the middle of a continent with multiple states, it would have no chance. Immigrants were pouring in and would have been happy to join as well, for a start, as many did during the Civil War.
Those who didn't approve of slavery, except a few zelots, would even more not approve of mass murder, and would not want those who committed it living among them. Its easier to make your rebellion than to outlast and keep it.
(and yes, there were real massacars in our history at that time, from both sides of the Plains war, but it was not just 'our' side which was targeted, and when they were the the reaction was to seek revenge. I think this would be a good example of the possible reaction.)
I know I certainly wouldn't but what if you were born into it and indoctrinated - would it then become acceptable to you?
How about the masters - I'm sure many of us secretly love the idea of dominating others, as seen by the way people act when they have money and the past history of slavery, feudalism and the like.
So is the master/slave relationship actually a facet of the human psyche and will it return given the chance?
and more to the point - is slavery acceptable?
Of course most people wouldn't want to be a slave if it means giving up their freedom, and if you were born into it and indoctrinated with it, I still feel that having no freedom would never be acceptable to most people, and it would always be something they would strive to have, or at least, dream of it....As for masters, it's no secret that many of us ARE dominated by others, only today we just don't call them masters...probably because it hurts to think of lost liberties...I don't think the master/slave relationship ever left, it's still here, just not as visual or as legal and in your face as it once was....I don't feel slavery is ever acceptable.
would it be acceptable for a slave to kill his master?
this seems to have happened numerous times when slavery was legal, and then the slave was executed.
How about for a slave to hit his master - this seems to also have had the punishment of death, or at least a severe whipping.
What moral lessons can be learnt here?
You mean there's a moral lesson to be learned from any of that?..Maybe that we as humans are the most capable of all animals to rape, pillage and destroy our own kind, as has been proven throughout history.
Of course most people wouldn't want to be a slave if it means giving up their freedom, and if you were born into it and indoctrinated with it, I still feel that having no freedom would never be acceptable to most people, and it would always be something they would strive to have, or at least, dream of it....As for masters, it's no secret that many of us ARE dominated by others, only today we just don't call them masters...probably because it hurts to think of lost liberties...I don't think the master/slave relationship ever left, it's still here, just not as visual or as legal and in your face as it once was....I don't feel slavery is ever acceptable.
That slavery is a component of human history since the very start shows it fills some nitch, be it a dark one. There are always going to be those who dominate, and those who submit. Slavery simply removes all the inbetween layers. In practical terms, there have been 'slaves' in circumstances where the name is not used, as well, when the circumstances in a practical way preclude anything but staying and making due. Poverty or limited resources often go hand in hand with this. You can give up choices you have or starve, or see the family starve. Or in times when there is little to go around, some will accept 'ownership' and control to insure their and often family have access. And psychologically they can accept the deal and defend the 'master' without quibbles. In both case they get something from it.
When the option is die or submit, some will pick death. Most will pick survival, with the promise to themselves they'll find a way out. But some people, the same ones who become abusused spouses who no longer can believe they don't 'deserve' it, will come to believe it is all that can be, and can't leave because their prison is within themselves.
Submission and dominance are not in themselves slavery, and if the advantage is there over others who won't for the submissive then its not quite the same. The mindset is hard wired, though, and in that sense so is slavery since its the mechanism at its most absolute.
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