Alright, so I guess it's time for an update
A friend and I recently talked about slavery, and the concept of it. The idea of slavery as in having no choice, there are things you will be forced to do in life, or well just pretty much die (for normal people). This discussion went into the idea that undertipping waitors/waitresses is the same of advocating this kind of slavery. Normally people would say, you undertip because the person did a bad job. However, what if that person is forced into it? He or she has no choice but to work this job, but you exercise your power of them by undertipping them. Therefore you undertipping them can be equated to pretty much actual slaves being whipped (not as severe of course) for doing a bad job. Those people are forced into that situation, and there is really nothing they can do about it. By undertipping them, you're saying "I didn't like the way you served me, you didn't serve the food with ease, and didn't do what I told you to do". Now really, the black man in the 1800's, why was he whipped? He didn't do what his master told him to do. Now we being the ones served and are just like the masters, the waitors are supposed to subject themselves to our every will, bring drinks when needed, and be polite and caring. What do we do when they don't do what we ask, we give them a slap on the wrist, we undertip them, just as the slaves were whipped when they did not serve their masters acoordingly.
Still think the slavery in the 1800's and the "slavery" occuring now aren't the same? Well you're correct, this is where my friend and I split on the issue. Slavery is not a bad thing, it is supposed to lead to the betterment of society as a whole. Plain in simple, there are some things we pretty much have to do in order to be successful and stay alive in society. Things like paying taxes and working are some of the most common. However, it depends on the degree of slavery. Did black men have as much freedom as we did? Hell no, did they have the same type of working conditions? Not even close. However, we are still controlled by society and we are slaves to it's will. Could you live without a job in Clifton Park? What about money? Don't we need that to survive? We are forced to work to get money, and when you're forced to do something to survive, it's defined as slavery.
However, is slavery a bad thing? This is another subject of our debate, my friend stated that all kinds of slavery are bad. I disagreed saying it had to depend upon the reasonableness and harshness of slavery. For instance, this kind of slavery where we are required to get jobs has allowed man kind to supposedly flourish from an uncivilized state. Before society, man was forced to hunt for food, and by the defintion man at that time in history would be a slave to nature. Thus doesn't it matter what the nature of the master is? Society is more forgiving and allows more freedom than nature. Could I be sitting here typing on this computer in the middle ages, even if it was invented? No, because we would still be out gathering food, farming, working all day long. However, because society has allowed for advancements in technology. By sacrificing our freedoms, and by subjecting ourselves to some kind of slavery we have been able to advance the human race.
We then got on to discussing that human life is sacred, which is why murder is illegal and considered immoral. Because humans have souls, they are somehow separated from the group of animals, somehow murder is automatically immoral. Now the term "is immoral" is one that's used a lot because generally most people think murder is wrong. However, the thing is, who defines right and wrong? For many religious people, God defines that. However, being an athiest, I don't see any objective source of morals. They really are just opinions. While most of us think murder is wrong, aren't there a few extremeists out there that think otherwise? We just assume that murder is wrong is a fact to continue on with society being as efficient as possible. Many think abortion is murder, and many think the other way. So what makes one right? Nothing really at all. The way morals get implemented into society and law, is power. Whoever has power is right, plain and simple. That's the way societies work. When the people in power think one way is the right way, that's implemented into society as fact. All the people in power think murder is wrong, thus it's illegal (not just because we think it's wrong, but it'd be pretty fucking stupid to have it legal wouldn't it). Now if all the people in the United States thought abortion was wrong, and it was made illegal, does that mean it's wrong? No, morals are opinions, and opinions are never wrong or right. Morals and opinions are based on our wants and what we personally think. There is no such thing as a "morally good person", you may think they are but that doesn't mean anything. Since morals, opinions, and our wants are subjective, there are no factual wrongs or rights when it comes down to morals.
Which is why we have the great idea of Majority rules. That way the majority of people get what they want, and we throw in some basic rights for the minorities. Those in the majority are those in power. And those that are in power control what is right and was it wrong. They decide what is bad and good. If you disagree with them, you're pretty fucked aren't you? You don't have that much of a choice if your poor, you don't have much of a choice if there is no where better to go. Society is the one in power, society is the one controlling you. Society is your master, and if you don't agree with it you're going to get whipped. You're a slave and there's nothing you can do about it but shrug your shoulders and try and have the best life you can.
I personally don't mind being forced to do things. I believe there are many tasks in life, often unwanted that you just have to do. However, with new technology, those unwanted tasks gradually decrease and we are able to have more freedom to enjoy life. As we advance the chains start to gradually come off, and we become more free than before. If we become more tolerant, more accepting, more freedom does occur. If you're tolerant enough you will not undertip a bad waitor. Do we want this freedom? Or do we wish to be bound in slavery, having to work in jobs, having to pay taxes. I think slavery will always be a part of our lives. Somethings are worth putting up with, the jobs, the taxes. However, if society begins to take more freedom away from us, freedoms we actually care about, society gets a rebellion. It's a careful balance, but imagine what some will consider freedom in the future? In the middle ages, freedom to a farmer might be taking one day off. To us, we have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom for so many things. Will more freedoms be added? Has the human race advanced that much? Or do we need more slavery to add more freedom?
In order to have more freedom, humans have to know how to not push it too far. Will that result in something similar to bigbrother where we all end up agreeing with each other so much that we are not tolerant of any other lifestyle? So we end up controlling ourselves, we can do everything we want, but our choices are still limited to that and only that. Slavery doesn't sound so bad if we're not allowed to do anything we don't want to do, and yet want to do everything we're allowed to do. How would this control be insured? Read 1984 by Orwell and you'll get my drift.
Well this was a long post, with many ideas. Disagreeing is fun, remember no one is wrong or right when it comes to opinions. Don't be afraid to rip me apart, and as always I apologize for the poor grammar use in my writing.
But content is more important isn't it?
Still think the slavery in the 1800's and the "slavery" occuring now aren't the same? Well you're correct, this is where my friend and I split on the issue. Slavery is not a bad thing, it is supposed to lead to the betterment of society as a whole. Plain in simple, there are some things we pretty much have to do in order to be successful and stay alive in society. Things like paying taxes and working are some of the most common. However, it depends on the degree of slavery. Did black men have as much freedom as we did? Hell no, did they have the same type of working conditions? Not even close. However, we are still controlled by society and we are slaves to it's will. Could you live without a job in Clifton Park? What about money? Don't we need that to survive? We are forced to work to get money, and when you're forced to do something to survive, it's defined as slavery.
However, is slavery a bad thing? This is another subject of our debate, my friend stated that all kinds of slavery are bad. I disagreed saying it had to depend upon the reasonableness and harshness of slavery. For instance, this kind of slavery where we are required to get jobs has allowed man kind to supposedly flourish from an uncivilized state. Before society, man was forced to hunt for food, and by the defintion man at that time in history would be a slave to nature. Thus doesn't it matter what the nature of the master is? Society is more forgiving and allows more freedom than nature. Could I be sitting here typing on this computer in the middle ages, even if it was invented? No, because we would still be out gathering food, farming, working all day long. However, because society has allowed for advancements in technology. By sacrificing our freedoms, and by subjecting ourselves to some kind of slavery we have been able to advance the human race.
We then got on to discussing that human life is sacred, which is why murder is illegal and considered immoral. Because humans have souls, they are somehow separated from the group of animals, somehow murder is automatically immoral. Now the term "is immoral" is one that's used a lot because generally most people think murder is wrong. However, the thing is, who defines right and wrong? For many religious people, God defines that. However, being an athiest, I don't see any objective source of morals. They really are just opinions. While most of us think murder is wrong, aren't there a few extremeists out there that think otherwise? We just assume that murder is wrong is a fact to continue on with society being as efficient as possible. Many think abortion is murder, and many think the other way. So what makes one right? Nothing really at all. The way morals get implemented into society and law, is power. Whoever has power is right, plain and simple. That's the way societies work. When the people in power think one way is the right way, that's implemented into society as fact. All the people in power think murder is wrong, thus it's illegal (not just because we think it's wrong, but it'd be pretty fucking stupid to have it legal wouldn't it). Now if all the people in the United States thought abortion was wrong, and it was made illegal, does that mean it's wrong? No, morals are opinions, and opinions are never wrong or right. Morals and opinions are based on our wants and what we personally think. There is no such thing as a "morally good person", you may think they are but that doesn't mean anything. Since morals, opinions, and our wants are subjective, there are no factual wrongs or rights when it comes down to morals.
Which is why we have the great idea of Majority rules. That way the majority of people get what they want, and we throw in some basic rights for the minorities. Those in the majority are those in power. And those that are in power control what is right and was it wrong. They decide what is bad and good. If you disagree with them, you're pretty fucked aren't you? You don't have that much of a choice if your poor, you don't have much of a choice if there is no where better to go. Society is the one in power, society is the one controlling you. Society is your master, and if you don't agree with it you're going to get whipped. You're a slave and there's nothing you can do about it but shrug your shoulders and try and have the best life you can.
I personally don't mind being forced to do things. I believe there are many tasks in life, often unwanted that you just have to do. However, with new technology, those unwanted tasks gradually decrease and we are able to have more freedom to enjoy life. As we advance the chains start to gradually come off, and we become more free than before. If we become more tolerant, more accepting, more freedom does occur. If you're tolerant enough you will not undertip a bad waitor. Do we want this freedom? Or do we wish to be bound in slavery, having to work in jobs, having to pay taxes. I think slavery will always be a part of our lives. Somethings are worth putting up with, the jobs, the taxes. However, if society begins to take more freedom away from us, freedoms we actually care about, society gets a rebellion. It's a careful balance, but imagine what some will consider freedom in the future? In the middle ages, freedom to a farmer might be taking one day off. To us, we have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom for so many things. Will more freedoms be added? Has the human race advanced that much? Or do we need more slavery to add more freedom?
In order to have more freedom, humans have to know how to not push it too far. Will that result in something similar to bigbrother where we all end up agreeing with each other so much that we are not tolerant of any other lifestyle? So we end up controlling ourselves, we can do everything we want, but our choices are still limited to that and only that. Slavery doesn't sound so bad if we're not allowed to do anything we don't want to do, and yet want to do everything we're allowed to do. How would this control be insured? Read 1984 by Orwell and you'll get my drift.
Well this was a long post, with many ideas. Disagreeing is fun, remember no one is wrong or right when it comes to opinions. Don't be afraid to rip me apart, and as always I apologize for the poor grammar use in my writing.
But content is more important isn't it?