Full Idea
Slavery is in and for itself an injustice, for the essence of humanity is freedom.
Gist of Idea
Slavery is unjust, because humanity is essentially free
Source
Georg W.F.Hegel (The Philosophy of History [1840], p.99), quoted by Stephen Houlgate - An Introduction to Hegel 08 'Rights'
Book Reference
Houlgate,Stephen: 'An Introduction to Hegel' [Blackwell 2005], p.187
A Reaction
This is a corrective to Idea 12783, which offers a defence of the reality of historical slavery. That seemed to depend on some notion that each phase of history is necessary, which is implausible.
Related Idea
Idea 12783 Primitive force is what gives a composite its reality [Leibniz]