I think the first quote means that in a slave situation, the owner has complete control over the body and its "abilities". So that when a slave is willing (or forced)to do the work, the body becomes more of a resource, simply a source of work, similar to a machine. The "body" as the quote says, is not seen as human, therefore ill treatment can be justefied. The value of human life was diminished into something mechanical, merely a source of labor. I think the quote is saying that people in power could use slaves as tools, as simple machines and nothing more.
I think the second quote is saying that a slave would only be useful is he actully did the work assigned to him. If he rebelled, there would be no use for him/her. He would need to be controlled; if he wasent, he might slack off, the amount of labor would decrease, the slave owner might lose money. The slave owner that was in complete control of his slaves was probably getting the most labor out of them, making them the most useful.
I think the third quote is saying that the slave or servant situation is the embodiment of everything the king is not.
But I dont know what that means; if its in a positive or negitive sense.
If the writer thought that the king was lazy and self serving, then it would be positive, he would beleive the servants would be hardworking and generous. But if the author thought the King was richeous and a role model, he would consiter the slaves malicious and underhanded.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
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