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Single Idea 21358

[from 'Politics' by Aristotle, in 25. Social Practice / A. Freedoms / 1. Slavery ]

Full Idea

A human being who belongs, by nature, not to himself but to another is, by nature, a slave. ...Those whose function happens to be the use of their bodies (when this is the best that can be achieved) are slaves by nature.

Gist of Idea

Natural slaves are those naturally belonging to another, or who can manage no more than labouring

Source

Aristotle (Politics [c.332 BCE], 1254a09-), quoted by Armand Marie LeRoi - The Lagoon: how Aristotle invented science 099

Book Reference

Leroi,Armand Marie: 'The Lagoon: how Aristotle invented science' [Bloomsbury 2014], p.312


A Reaction

A nice example of Aristotle trying to derive what ought to be from the 'nature' of each thing. Clearly, though, this was not the best that can be achieved. And why are labourers slaves, but not computer programmers or economists?