In Western culture, slavery is often considered a necessary stage in human progress and the attainment of universal freedom. This paper traces the origins of this reasoning to antiquity. It argues that the idea was first developed as an educational principle in the training of free people and was extended to the moral edification of slaves. It reflects the mentality of slave-owning cultures which regard bondage not only as necessary but also as beneficial. In Hellenistic and Roman times it was also given a religious dimension, and as such it became dominant in the Byzantine empire. Enslavement to God was a meaningful metaphor for conversion and piety. The centrality of servitude in moral training has left its clear marks on the modern ethics of work.
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