Ideas of Slavery from Aristotle to Augustine

ISBN-13: 9780521574334 / Angielski / Miękka / 1996 / 288 str.

Peter Garnsey

Opis

This study, unique of its kind, asks how slavery was viewed by the leading spokesmen of Greece and Rome. There was no movement for abolition in these societies, or a vigorous debate, such as occurred in antebellum America, but this does not imply that slavery was accepted without question. This book draws on a wide range of sources, pagan, Jewish and Christian, over ten centuries, to challenge the common assumption of passive acquiescence in slavery, and the associated view that, Aristotle apart, there was no systematic thought on slavery. The work contains both a typology of attitudes to slavery ranging from critiques to justifications, and paired case studies of leading theorists of slavery, Aristotle and the Stoics, Philo and Paul, Ambrose and Augustine.

Recenzje

'This book is a fascinating and fundamental statement on its subject … The evident passion of the work and material referenced in the bibliography and the notes ensure that it is a must not just for students and teachers of ancient social, philosophical and church history, but also for anyone interested in the underpinnings of modern slavery too.' Slavery & Abolition

Spis treści

Introduction: 1. Slavery and slave theory in antiquity; Part I. Attitudes to Slavery: 2. Slavery accepted; 3. Justifications of slavery; 4. Slave-systems criticized; 5. Fair words; 6. Slavery criticized; 7. Slavery eased; Part II. Theories of Slavery: 1. Classical, Hellenistic and Roman Philosophers: 8. Aristotle; 9. The Stoics; 2. Early theologicians: 10. Philo; 11. Paul; 3. Church Fathers: 12. Ambrose; 13. Augustine; 14. Slavery as metaphor; Conclusion.