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threelittlebirdies  ·  3851 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Why is slavery wrong? (A late answer to b_b's "An interesting question")

When a person enslaves another person, the enslaver ceases to be see the slave as a being that is worthy of respect; the slave becomes a commodity that happens to be alive.

I do not think it is perilous to make the assertion that the vast majority of sentient beings, human or otherwise, would prefer to be regarded as a fellow sentient being that is worthy of dignity instead of as a commodity to be exploited for profit. If we apply the golden rule to this situation, it would follow that enslaving another being would be a priori immoral, and that if it can be avoided, it should be.