Chapter 3 Emancipation

  1. Thesis
    1. It was Greek humanistic ideals of rational inquiry and freedom of dissent that started humanity down the long road to emancipation
    2. Slaves are depicted in a sympathetic light [63]. The role of empathy: that free could be enslaved and slaved freed possible only when humanity acknowledged: i.e., slaves could exercise self-control, could reason, could make choices, could suffer [66]. For slavery to succeed, humanity must be denied [72]. Note quote on [69]. Once the humanity of slave is admitted, the one could critique the institution rationally.
  2. The Case / Argument
    1. Ancient slavery not race based, but an accidental status (even if Athenians were enslaving); as plays indicate, the subject and the implications discussed in the theater. Empathy because: did not look different, often educated; did same work as citizens; not perceived as intellectually inferior. Manumission (tho not citizenship) common and with no permanent stigma (indistinguishable). Killing a slave was illegal. Implications [67]. Part of the family. Even so, slavery was degrading, and the process finished the slave's humanity [69]
    2. Greek literature indicates that Greeks viewed slavery in critical light: some indicate that it was neither universal nor natural. Golden Ages are without slaves. Slavery a necessary evil of life in a harsh world [71]
    3. Sympathetic understanding [72]. Cf. role of Uncle Tom's Cabin. In comedy the slave is wilier, smarter, funnier, and more interesting than his naive and oafish owner. Passage on [74 and 75] describe tragedians attempts to evoke sympathy. Slaves too could show virtue, choose to show virtue [75].
    4. Some people are naturally slaves in that they are dominated by appetites, do not use their reason; some slaves are naturally free in that they use reason and control appetites. [77,78 esp quote at middle and 79 bottom]. Freedom is the power of autonomous action [80].
    5. The critical reflection on natural slavery led to notion "brotherhood of man", a sense of common humanity and kinship [80-1]