The word “slavery” is a general term applied to all models throughout history, but while different systems of slavery are similar on the surface, closer examination reveals very distinct differences in slavery practices, as evident upon comparing the two models of Asia and Greco-Roman slavery.
The model of slavery in Asia, specifically eastern and southern Asia, developed during the Han dynasty in response to the implementation of Legalism as a means of social control. In China, Legalism, a concept of government first introduced by Xunzi and further developed by Han Feizi, was a system of belief that considers that all people are inherently bad and the only way to curb those inclinations is through the institution of severe punishments whenever a law is broken. Under the Legalism, a method of inhibiting unlawful behavior was to have neighbors watch each other, with the threat of being punished by association an incentive to keep a close eye on your fellow residents: “whosoever misses any culprit, is definitely censured and given the same penalty as the culprit (Han Feizi).” The most common type of punishment was to have the offenders, along with their families, be enslaved to the state (Wilbur, Enslavement p. 72).
Another type of slavery that existed in Asia was private slavery, most often supplied by people who either sell themselves or their families into debt-slavery or bondage. This often occurred during times of famine where families would often pawn their children and husbands would even pawn their wives (Nelson, Slavery in Japan p. 475); and any decrees after the Han dynasty that forbade it were often overlooked in consideration of the extenuating circumstances that motivated it, such as the economic disruptions...
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...arding the rights slaves have in regards to marriage and property, how slaves were utilized by the state and private slaveholders and how freedom could be gained by those who wanted it.
Works Cited
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Fisher, N. R. E.. Slavery in classical Greece. 2nd ed. London: Bristol Classical, 2001. Print.
Joshel, Sandra R.. Slavery in the Roman world. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2010.
Nelson, Thomas. "Slavery in Medieval Japan." Monumenta Nipponica 59.4 (2004): 463-492. JSTOR. Web. 6 Jan. 2012.
Wilbur, C. Martin. Slavery in China during the Former Han dynasty, 206 B.C.-A.D. 25,. New York: Russell & Russell, 1967. Print.
Primary Source Packet 2, Han Feizi.
Roediger, David and Blatt, Martin H. The Meaning of Slavery in the North. JStor. 1998. Vol. 18
Bury, J. B.; Russell Meiggs (2000). A History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great
The studied passage indicates a clear division of classes: the free men, those excluded from political rights, the serfs and the slaves. The question of ‘serfdom’ in ancient Greece remains a disputable concept among scholars, and there is no wide consensus that serfs and slaves were clear-cut categories in Gortyn – but it quite probable that the terms were used to distinguish the ‘home-grown’ servile population from the foreign chattel-slaves. Not surprisingly, the text confirms that slaves had fewer rights than free men, but also indicates that lower-status people were granted protection under the law against the most severe abuses – in sharp contrast with slavery practices in Athens for instance. These legal provisions might be explained by the fact that the servile population was rather ‘home-grown’ than from foreign origin – and it can be argued that the development of chattel-slavery involved a progressive diminution of the rights of those who became slaves. In any case, this is a strong indication that slavery practices differ from one city-state to another, meaning that conclusions derived from the Gortyn code should not be too quickly
Slave trade grew gradually when it began in 1600's. As the demand for labor in the colonies increased, a number of plantation owners resorted to slave labor. These plantation owners used s...
The controversies surrounding slavery have been established in many societies worldwide for centuries. In past generations, although slavery did exists and was tolerated, it was certainly very questionable,” ethically“. Today, the morality of such an act would not only be unimaginable, but would also be morally wrong. As things change over the course of history we seek to not only explain why things happen, but as well to understand why they do. For this reason, we will look further into how slavery has evolved throughout History in American society, as well as the impacts that it has had.
Slavery is older than the first human records. Slavery was not based on race and not until the 15th century associated with people of African descent. (Source G). In learning about the history of slavery, we can only go so far in looking through our textbooks. However, often times, if you look hard enough you can find witnesses who have been there in slavery. We receive i...
Slavery was the core of the North and South’s conflict. Slavery has existed in the New World since the seventeenth century prior to it being exclusive to race. During those times there were few social and political concerns about slavery. Initially, slaves were considered indentured servants who will eventually be set free after paying their debt(s) to the owner. In some cases, the owners were African with white servants. However, over time the slavery became exclusive to Africans and was no limited to a specific timeframe, but life. In addition, the treatment of slaves worsens from the Atlantic Slave trade to th...
Slaves had no control over their own destiny and were often sold several times throughout their life. This severe...
The term slave is defined as a person held in servitude as the chattel of another, or one that is completely passive to a dominating influence. The most well known cases of slavery occurred during the settling of the United States of America. From 1619 until July 1st 1928 slavery was allowed within our country. Slavery abolitionists attempted to end slavery, which at some point; they were successful at doing so. This paper will take the reader a lot of different directions, it will look at slavery in a legal aspect along the lines of the constitution and the thirteenth amendment, and it will also discuss how abolitionists tried to end slavery. This paper will also discuss how slaves were being taken away from their families and how their lives were affected after.
Clarke, Fiona, and Mark Bergin. Greece in the time of Pericles. Hemel Hempstead: Simon & Schuster, 1909.
The experiences of enslaved women differed from the experience of enslaved men in ancient Rome; slavery within ancient Rome can be traced back to the first century BCE and was based primarily on the chattel slave system. Slavery within the ancient roman society was highly normalised as it was considered a part of roman culture. Slavery within ancient Rome was so heavily normalised that it is considered to be described as a “slave society” Joshel (2010, p. 6) states that “For slaves living in the Roman world, there was no outside – no place without slavery and no movement that declared slavery wrong. Slavery was a normal part of life, and this was true not only for the Romans but for every neighbouring ancient culture”. Not only was slavery considered a normal part of Roman life, but it affected a great proportion of the Roman population. According to historian Walter Scheidel (2007, p. 6) “ There were somewhere between 5 to 8 million slaves in the Roman empire, some 250,000 to 400,000 new slaves were required every year to maintain the numbers”. A majority of these figures were men, children and - women; either being enslaved through birth, kidnapping or captured through war. Roman slaves were not seen as victims nor was slavery considered to be a crime at that time, as slavery was considered to be to a ‘natural law of the nations’ as stated by Joshel (2010, p.6) “For the Roman lawyer, slavery is not a crime, and the enslaved are not victims; rather, as Gaius and other Roman jurists nations. Natural law applies to all animals, not only human beings, but it concerns little more than the union of male and female, procreation of children, and their rearing”. With an estimated 5 to 8 million slaves within the Roman Empire, whether...
Form ancient times until now, punishment acts as an indispensable part of the legal system for each country. The penal system is an important tool which protects private ownership, guarantees civil security, and maintains political domination. China is a famous country which has been advocate criminal law since thousands of year ago. Therefore, the Chinese penal system is a valuable reference for studying the variety of punishments. We can consider the three main types of ancient Chinese punishment: imprisonment, corporal punishment, seriously, and capital punishment.
The last form of slavery that exists in the modern world is contract slavery. This type of slavery is when contracts are offered to people to work in factories or workshops, but once transported they then discovered the contracts were not real and learned they have become slaves (Professor Jun, Lecture, 2014). Usually these types of contracts are offered to people who are in desperate need of employment and will fall for anything in order to make slavery look legitimate. Also these so called “contract workers” are really slaves who are forced by violence, lack freedom, and paid nothing. One of the best examples of contract slavery today is in the country of Brazil.
"Plutarch, The Spartacus Slave War" In Spartacus And Slave Wars, ed. Brent D. Shaw (Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin's, 2001) 131-138
Deal, William E. 2006. Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan. Facts on File, Inc., 2006. eBook