Subjugation and Bondage: Critical Essays on Slavery and Social Philosophy - Paperback

by Anita Allen (Contribution by), Bernard Boxill (Contribution by), Joshua Cohen (Contribution by)

This volume provides a collection of recent essays that address a wide variety of moral concerns regarding slavery as an institutionalized social practice. Over half of the essays present novel interpretations of Aristotle and of Enlightenment views. In some cases explicit comparisons are drawn between the arguments given by former slaves and certain political theories that may have influenced them. By considering the slave's critical appropriation of the natural rights doctrine, the ambiguous implications of various notions of consent and liberty are examined. The authors assume that, although slavery is undoubtedly an evil social practice, its moral assessment stands in need of a more nuanced treatment. They address the question of what is wrong with slavery by critically examining, and in some cases endorsing, certain principles derived from communitarianism, paternalism, utilitarianism, and jurisprudence.

Author Biography

Tommy L. Lott is professor of Philosophy at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. He is the editor of Philosophical Research on African American Social Inequality (Rowman & Littlefield, forthcoming)