Slavery: Inhumane or Profitabl
Inhumane or profitable? This was the common question held by many people in the eighteenth century about slavery. Numerous writers and politicians debated their views on this issue, some promoting it as a strong source of national wealth, while others condemned the inhumanity of the slave masters. The period of the Enlightenment was soundly based on the mind, rather than technical aspects of any issue. Because of this, the key figures of the Enlightenment believed that slavery was a gruesome contradiction to natural liberty and dignity. However, when the French Revolution came about, the conservatives on the issue made the case that abolishing slavery would demolish the economy, as well as general order in the country. In Voltaire's Essay on Morals and Customs, Voltaire sums up his opinion of the situation plainly, stating that slavery is simply a procedure that forces humans to sacrifice their lives all for the appetite of the white man. Voltaire realized that slavery was essential to the continuation of the triangular trade, since man craved sugar, cocoa, coffee, an
Naturally, these views were set aside from the inhumanity of slavery -- no one wanted those to be discussed. The people that foreshadowed the end of slavery warned the public that when that day came, the white men would have to cease their condescension. This shows that if the ancestors lived without these goods, the men of his day could do so as well, proving slavery to be unnecessary. According to this belief, slavery is only a representation of the destruction of nature. Usually, the sense of humanity is lost when one is confronted with the almighty dollar, or when the sacrifice of humanity appears to be the best for avoiding trouble. This suggests that without slavery, the Americans may have even lost the war to Britain. The views of the Enlightenment, overall, were based on the natural rights and dignity of man, concepts of which slavery seemed to make a mockery. Rousseau's statement, "I have grieved to be a human," demonstrates the severity of the matter. These people who agreed with him generally shared the belief that slavery is an inhumane gesture that turns fellow brothers into beasts just for the sake of man's greed. A widespread paranoia upset many areas as well. It was, in fact, true that the abolition of slavery would ruin much that had been accomplished in previous years. Because of this, Louis XIII saw this as a promotion of Catholicism and authorized the slave trade. This view constitutes the pragmatism that was evident in many people's beliefs. Basically, if people were not prepared for the end of slavery, social disorders would erupt.
Common topics in this essay:
Louis XIII,
American Revolution,
Customs Voltaire,
Profitable Inhumane,
French Revolution,
abolition slavery,
slavery inhumane,
inhumane profitable,
natural rights,
belief slavery,
man's greed,
slave trade,
louis xiii,
|
Acceptance Essays
