Wednesday, April 20, 2016

What is "Freedom"?

Someone recently tried to debate me on the morality of Enslavement. His argument was -as it was also with a southern evangelical man after the Civil war ended -that slavery itself was not inherently negative. That the abuses slaves endured were sin, but not enslavement itself. He went on to argue that slavery could be a "good life" for someone considering they would get food and shelter where otherwise they could be destitute on the streets. 

I should have never argued this with this at all. It's an absurdity. Especially given the horrors echoed throughout history of every human soul that was ever demeaned in that way. Slavery is NOT a necessity for our survival. And given it as a "luxury" -even in a nicer future than this one -would ALWAYS include abuse. Slavery has never existed in any country, culture, or era -even the ones praised to have "treated slaves well" without abuses going along with it. 

There have always been humans that treat other humans well regardless the circumstances and there have always been humans that treat humans with cruelty regardless the circumstances. 

My main point hinged on Freedom being a human right. My friend replied, "FREEDOM? What is that exactly.? Different cultures and times have had varying definition. It's just a word."

I said, as I say to you now, "Freedom it the acknolwgedment and respect of every human's AUTONOMY and FREE WILL and then the ability of any human to ACT upon that Free Will." 

If you deny another human's autonomy and free will -you act against that person and their existence. If you deny another human's right enact their free will and autonomy -you act against that person and their Freedom. 


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