Voluntary slavery
Encyclopedia
Voluntary slavery is the condition of slavery
freely entered into. In ancient times this was a common way for impoverished people to provide subsistence for themselves or their family and provision was made for this in law
. For example, the code of Hammurabi
stated that, "besides being able to borrow on personal security, an individual might sell himself or a family member into slavery."
In ancient times one of the most direct ways to become a Roman or Greek citizen was by means of a self-sale contract. For the laws surrounding Roman and Greek manumission
made it quite possible for such erstwhile slaves to then become citizens or near-citizens themselves.
In medieval Russia, self-sale was the main source of slaves.
Slave contracts are also sometimes used in BDSM
as part of a total power exchange agreement.
wrote a critique of voluntary slavery as a criticism of paternalism. Certain feminists have asserted willing motherhood to be a form of voluntary slavery. And some political economists have asserted that the capitalist wage system is contrary to human dignity and inalienable human rights. Murray Rothbard
argued, "The concept of 'voluntary slavery' is indeed a contradictory one, for so long as a laborer remains totally subservient to his master's will voluntarily, he is not yet a slave since his submission is voluntary; whereas, if he later changed his mind and the master enforced his slavery by violence, the slavery would not then be voluntary.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
contends that in a contract of self-enslavement, there is no mutuality. The slave loses all. The contract negates his interests
and his rights. It is entirely to his disadvantage. Since the slave loses his status as a moral agent once the slave contract is enforced, the slave cannot act to enforce anything owed to him by his master. Rousseau contrasted this to the social contract
, in that the subjects of the government have control over their masters.
Anarcho-capitalist Walter Block
raises the following scenario as illustrating a problem with disallowing enforcement of slave contracts:
Stephan Kinsella
argues that "viewing rights as alienable is perfectly consistent with—indeed, implied by—the libertarian non-aggression principle
. Under this principle, only the initiation of force is prohibited; defensive, restitutive, or retaliatory force is not."
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
freely entered into. In ancient times this was a common way for impoverished people to provide subsistence for themselves or their family and provision was made for this in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. For example, the code of Hammurabi
Code of Hammurabi
The Code of Hammurabi is a well-preserved Babylonian law code, dating to ca. 1780 BC . It is one of the oldest deciphered writings of significant length in the world. The sixth Babylonian king, Hammurabi, enacted the code, and partial copies exist on a human-sized stone stele and various clay...
stated that, "besides being able to borrow on personal security, an individual might sell himself or a family member into slavery."
In ancient times one of the most direct ways to become a Roman or Greek citizen was by means of a self-sale contract. For the laws surrounding Roman and Greek manumission
Manumission
Manumission is the act of a slave owner freeing his or her slaves. In the United States before the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which abolished most slavery, this often happened upon the death of the owner, under conditions in his will.-Motivations:The...
made it quite possible for such erstwhile slaves to then become citizens or near-citizens themselves.
In medieval Russia, self-sale was the main source of slaves.
Slave contracts are also sometimes used in BDSM
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
as part of a total power exchange agreement.
Theory
In modern times, the topic has been discussed in the context of politics and human rights. John Stuart MillJohn Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill was a British philosopher, economist and civil servant. An influential contributor to social theory, political theory, and political economy, his conception of liberty justified the freedom of the individual in opposition to unlimited state control. He was a proponent of...
wrote a critique of voluntary slavery as a criticism of paternalism. Certain feminists have asserted willing motherhood to be a form of voluntary slavery. And some political economists have asserted that the capitalist wage system is contrary to human dignity and inalienable human rights. Murray Rothbard
Murray Rothbard
Murray Newton Rothbard was an American author and economist of the Austrian School who helped define capitalist libertarianism and popularized a form of free-market anarchism he termed "anarcho-capitalism." Rothbard wrote over twenty books and is considered a centrally important figure in the...
argued, "The concept of 'voluntary slavery' is indeed a contradictory one, for so long as a laborer remains totally subservient to his master's will voluntarily, he is not yet a slave since his submission is voluntary; whereas, if he later changed his mind and the master enforced his slavery by violence, the slavery would not then be voluntary.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of 18th-century Romanticism. His political philosophy influenced the French Revolution as well as the overall development of modern political, sociological and educational thought.His novel Émile: or, On Education is a treatise...
contends that in a contract of self-enslavement, there is no mutuality. The slave loses all. The contract negates his interests
and his rights. It is entirely to his disadvantage. Since the slave loses his status as a moral agent once the slave contract is enforced, the slave cannot act to enforce anything owed to him by his master. Rousseau contrasted this to the social contract
Social contract
The social contract is an intellectual device intended to explain the appropriate relationship between individuals and their governments. Social contract arguments assert that individuals unite into political societies by a process of mutual consent, agreeing to abide by common rules and accept...
, in that the subjects of the government have control over their masters.
Anarcho-capitalist Walter Block
Walter Block
Walter Edward Block is a free market economist and anarcho-capitalist associated with the Austrian School of economics.-Personal history and education:...
raises the following scenario as illustrating a problem with disallowing enforcement of slave contracts:
Stephan Kinsella
Stephan Kinsella
frame|right|Stephan KinsellaNorman Stephan Kinsella is an American intellectual property lawyer and libertarian legal theorist. His electronically published works are primarily published on his blog and websites associated with the Ludwig von Mises Institute and anarcho-capitalist...
argues that "viewing rights as alienable is perfectly consistent with—indeed, implied by—the libertarian non-aggression principle
Non-aggression principle
The non-aggression principle , or NAP for short, is a moral stance which asserts that aggression is inherently illegitimate...
. Under this principle, only the initiation of force is prohibited; defensive, restitutive, or retaliatory force is not."