aristotle and locke on slavery
Slavery is an issue that has plagued many societies over the history of the world. Slavery has existed on almost every continent, and has affected millions of people's lives. The idea and philosophy behind slavery is an issue that almost every great political scientist and philosopher has dealt with in discussing actual and theoretical societies. Aristotle is one of the most famous philosophers who spends' a great deal of time and effort dealing with the issue of slavery. His ideas of slavery are quite controversial, especially in today's society, due to his belief that people are naturally slaves or masters, based on "deductive faculty"(Aristotle, 1260a12). Another type of slavery that existed due to natural birth was the enslavement of African Americans in the U.S., a period of time from which this country still suffers. John Locke's discussion of slavery is much more realistic, as well as socially acceptable. Locke believes that slavery will exist only in a state of war, in which a conqueror defeats an unjust individual, and in doing so owns that person's life. However, instead of killing the conquered, the conqueror makes the conquered a slave, thus creating the idea of slavery. Thi
The idea of a superior race of humans who, do to their ability to have a "deliberative faculty"(Aristotle, 1260a12), are able to own another individual goes against Locke's belief that man has: "a liberty to follow [his] own will. Locke's definition of slavery is much more acceptable in society, due to the fact that slavery has existed in many countries around the world. It is God that has the property rights of individuals, and therefore a person cannot give those rights to another individual because it would violate God's property rights. Taking this into consideration, one can see why Aristotle's points are so outdated in comparison to the evolution that society has undertaken in accordance with the rights of all people, regardless of race, color, creed or physical or mental attributes. Aristotle begins his discussion on slavery in Book I of The Politics by first re-establishing the idea of property as "part of the household"(Aristotle, 1253b23), and "the art of acquiring property [as] a part of the art of managing the household"(Aristotle, 1253b24). Like property, a slave is "not only the slave of his master, but wholly belongs to him"(Aristotle, 1254a12-13), however, a "master is only the master of the slave [because] he does not belong to him"(Aristotle, 1254a11). John Locke, the author of The Second Treatise on Civil Government, establishes the state, by first introducing the notion of a natural state. Often, entire fall under the control of other conquering states due to wars that are waged. [and] some men are by nature free, and others slaves"(Aristotle, 1254b34-40). Slavery goes against Locke's belief that "the natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man"(Locke, 21), and therefore should not exist in civil society. Aristotle further states that "no man can live well.
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