Why Is Slavery Wrong

Slavery “Slavery” is the state or condition of being a slave in a relationship whereby one person has absolute power over another and controls his life liberty and fortune (Def. 1). Doing work under harsh conditions for low wage is the usual practice included in slavery which renders direct interests in conflict with asserting that interest as a matter of right. Slavery is much known from previous centuries’ when slaves were traded each for a market value, and even since its known abolition has been a subject of debate for its ethicality. Today’s society and morals reflect detest for slavery and generally promote it as wrong. Slavery has always been a subject of debates from a historical perspective and of course the ultimate discussion
The master-slave concept became a basic and traditional concept that can exist with any economic order. Modern slavery which evolved from use of slaves in large-scale production has led modern capitalists to prefer for slave labor over free labor wherein investment must gain returns with the use of slaves as advantages in cost. Kant is considered as a great influence in contemporary moral philosophy with his idea that all persons deserve respect and must not to be treated in humiliating ways to conclude that all persons have equal moral worth. Human rights law and modern liberal morality provide all persons a basic moral status that governments and other persons cannot violate, thus the negative consequences of slavery must outweigh any positive. Kantian perspectives are still viewed by the majority as in true advocacy of the universality of actions and the wrong of people in using other people as their tools. Kantian ethics takes into consideration human dignity and one’s desire for autonomy which prevents slavery. It must also be remembered by all generations that the legacy of slavery and its trade, however, is not limited to economic inequalities, but experience of slavery and colonization served as primary source of racism. Utilitarianism on slavery relied much on economic inequality for its concept of thought that it lacked to universalize the human experience to all persons and may still justify slavery in impractical large benefits beyond the direct suffering to the victims and even ignore the impact of social acceptance of harsh policies. Slavery is morally wrong because it does not respect the slaves' autonomy and calculating utility must include one’s own happiness as much as the happiness of anyone else because everyone's happiness counts