UpDate - Vol. 13, No. 1, Page 4
September 2, 1993
Philosophy prof's book offers a different view of slavery

     The philosophical approach to American slavery is usually from the
point of view of those who were free and in power, either condoning or
opposing slavery. Rarely is it from the point of view of the slaves, those
who were in bondage and without power, according to Bill E. Lawson,
associate professor of philosophy.
     Lawson and Howard McGary, professor of philosophy at Rutgers
University, have written Between Slavery and Freedom, an examination of the
philosophical and moral questions surrounding slavery through an
interpretation of slave narratives written before and after the Civil War.
     The book, published by the Indiana University Press, is not a history
but, instead, a philosophical examination of slavery, in which the authors
analyze such concepts as oppression, paternalism, resistance, citizenship,
moral discourse and forgiveness within the context of the American slavery
experience.
     Contrary to what some scholars have written, Lawson said, slaves were
not passive; they withstood cruelty; they reflected philosophically about
their situation, and they took action when possible.
     According to Lawson, the ultimate evil of slavery was one human owning
another. In the book, the authors state that, in the narratives, "slaves
identify ownership as the mark of oppression" and that "crucial to an
understanding of slavery is the role of the government in fostering and
maintaining slavery as a social practice."
     Although the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves from ownership,
the pattern of oppression continued, with African-Americans denied the vote
and economic opportunities as a group because of race, Lawson said.
     Although middle-class African-Americans have moved into the main
stream as barriers have lessened, the legacy of slavery and the lack of
empowerment have been factors in the formation of the urban underclass
today. "Poverty and social deprivation plus racial discrimination can be a
continuous crushing burden, which presses a stamp of inferiority on its
victims," Lawson wrote, "These individuals often have little hope that they
will ever share in the American dream."
     Lawson questions whether the urban underclass is truly a distinct and
separate class, however. "What most of these people in inner cities want is
what most citizens want-jobs, housing, medical care and protection from
crime," he said.
     In the chapter, "Moral Discourse and Slavery," Lawson points out that
recognizing that there is a history of slavery "does not mean that you have
to take blame for it" but that "this history can still be part of our
calculations of the problems groups face in their striving for equal
standing."
                                        -Sue Swyers Moncure