The Different Perspectives on the Slavery

The Different Perspectives on the Slavery

People have debated the issue of slavery for many years. Some people believe that slavery was a barbaric institution that should have been abolished immediately. In contrast, others believe it was a necessary evil to maintain society as we know it. For instance, as portrayed in the accounts of Phillis Whitney, and Lemuel Haynes, even the slaves themselves had differing perceptions as others thought of it to be eye opening, while the rest found daunting and inhumane[1]. In this essay, I will examine both sides of the argument and try to conclude whether or not slavery was a barbaric institution.

On the one hand, people believe that slavery was a barbaric institution for many reasons. To begin with, enslaved people were often treated very poorly. They were often beaten, starved, and forced to work in extremely difficult conditions, blatantly inhumane and barbaric. Another reason why people believe that slavery was a barbaric institution is that it allowed for the exploitation of enslaved people; for instance, enslavers would profit off enslaved people's labor without giving them any compensation, which is unfair and unjust[2]. Lastly, slavery led to the separation of families as they were often sold away from their families, which caused great pain and suffering.

On the other hand, others believed, for many reasons, that slavery was a necessary evil. One reason is that slavery was used to maintain the social hierarchy, which allowed a small group of people to have a lot of power and wealth while the majority were poor and had no power. As such, the elites of that period found it imperative to maintain such a social structure embracing slavery. Another reason people believe that slavery was a necessary evil is because it was used to maintain the economic system. Slavery allowed a small group of people to control the economy and make money implying the necessity for the maintenance of society[3]. As noted, the main argument in the first perspective is that slavery was a barbaric institution that ought to have been abolished immediately. The second perspective is that slavery was a necessary evil that was required to maintain society as we know it. The two perspectives agree that slavery was a barbaric institution. However, they disagree on whether or not slavery was a necessary evil. The first perspective believes that slavery was not a necessary evil, while the second perspective believes that it was.

The evidence that supports the thesis that slavery was a barbaric institution that ought to have been abolished immediately is mostly eyewitness accounts of the treatment of enslaved people. These accounts describe the poor treatment of enslaved people, such as being beaten, starved, and forced to work in difficult conditions. This evidence supports the thesis that slavery was a barbaric institution[4]. The evidence that is provided to support the thesis that slavery was a necessary evil that was required to maintain society as we know it is mostly historical evidence. This evidence shows that slavery was used to maintain the social hierarchy, the economy, and the political system. This evidence supports the thesis that slavery was a necessary evil.

The readings changed how I understood the subject by providing me with different perspectives on the issue. Before reading the readings, I only knew one perspective on the issue. After reading the readings, I now know two perspectives on the issue. The issues presented in the readings are still relevant today because they give me different ways of thinking about the issue. My background and life experiences might influence my perspective on this topic because I have never been a slave. I cannot imagine what it would be like to be enslaved, so I might not fully understand the issue from the perspective of an enslaved person.

Bibliography

Payne, B. Keith, Heidi A. Vuletich, and Jazmin L. Brown-Iannuzzi. "Historical roots of implicit bias in slavery." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116, no. 24 (2019): 11693-11698.

Petley, Christer. “New Perspectives on Slavery and Emancipation in The British Caribbean.” The Historical Journal 54, no. 3 (2011): 855–80. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23017274.

Wheatley, Phillis, and Lemuel Haynes. "Slavery and Freedom." Lecture, n.d.

[1] Wheatley, Phillis, and Lemuel Haynes. "Slavery and Freedom." Lecture, n.d.

[2] Payne, B. Keith, Heidi A. Vuletich, and Jazmin L. Brown-Iannuzzi. "Historical roots of imp


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