(May 18, 2021 at 7:19 pm)The Grand Nudger Wrote: Granted, and when you come to that point, you have to have some way to measure aggregate happiness and happiness by utilitarianisms definition. I'd restate it as a possibility, that -even if- there were some utilitarian good to slavery that showed itself in the final analysis - you'd still think it was wrong.
-and, I'd say, you'd be right. It was only ever a utilitarian good, even in that event, and the need for qualification says everything.
But can slavery be a utilitarian good? That's what I want to know.
1. A slave is subject to the whims of a master.
2. A master may have whims to abuse, harm, or exploit a slave.
3. Abuse, harm, and exploitation decrease happiness and increase suffering.
Therefore, utilitarians be like no.
A crude argument, yes. But can you find a response?
Abolition protects people from suffering. I want to say that as long as a master could potentially have reasons to harm a slave, such harming is possible.
