Slaveholding A Malum In Se: Or Invariably Sinful - Softcover

Edward Royall Tyler

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0371574498 ISBN 13: 9780371574492

Publisher: HardPress, 2021

Synopsis

Slaveholding A Malum In Se: Or Invariably Sinful by Edward Royall Tyler. This 19th-century ethical and legal treatise defines slavery as a deprivation of personal ownership and argues that slaveholding is inherently sinful (malum in se). The work distinguishes slavery from other forms of servitude, asserting that a person possesses natural rights and moral agency that slavery negates by treating individuals as property. Tyler traces definitions of slavery from ancient Greece and Rome to American slave codes to support his claim, and explains that both individuals and governments can be slaveholders when they deprive self-ownership. He argues that self-ownership includes rights to life, labor, property, family, and religious duties, and that the necessity of these rights makes slavery an inherent violation. The tract then maintains that slaveholding is a malum in se—an act intrinsically wrong—regardless of circumstances, and examines the social, religious, educational, economic, and political harms slavery inflicts on both slaves and masters. It also addresses counterarguments and asserts immediate emancipation as a moral imperative.

Edition details

• Publisher: HardPress
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0371574498
• ISBN 13: 9780371574492
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 63