The result of it all is that these slaves, who may not talk in their master's presence, talk about their master.
But the slaves of former days, who were permitted to converse not only in their master's presence, but actually with him, whose mouths were not stitched up tight, were ready to bare their necks for their master, to bring upon their own heads any danger that threatened him; they spoke at the feast, but kept silence during torture.
Finally, the saying, in allusion to this same high-handed treatment, becomes current: "As many enemies as you have slaves." They are not enemies when we acquire them; we make them enemies.
But the slaves of former days, who were permitted to converse not only in their master's presence, but actually with him, whose mouths were not stitched up tight, were ready to bare their necks for their master, to bring upon their own heads any danger that threatened him; they spoke at the feast, but kept silence during torture.
Finally, the saying, in allusion to this same high-handed treatment, becomes current: "As many enemies as you have slaves." They are not enemies when we acquire them; we make them enemies.
—from Seneca, Moral Letters 47
Those who wish to control every aspect of others’ lives confuse their preferences for principles, assuming that their own desires should be taken as absolute law. I suspect that this is why they are so insistent on conformity in the tiniest of ways, including how we dress, speak, and all varieties of comportment.
If a Roman slave looked at his master the wrong way, he may well have been beaten. If the underling now looks at his boss the wrong way, he will get fired, and so lose his livelihood. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
The goal is to impose obedience by means of fear, and I wonder if the very feeling of dominance is far more important to the grasping men than any of the riches they acquire by means of their authority. The tycoon insists that profit is the bottom line, but is he actually craving the sheer thrill of power?
They say that those who can’t do, teach. I will add that those who can’t manage to rule themselves, occupy themselves by ruling others.
Now while the fear of pain can impose an outer deference, it will simply breed an inner resentment. I have seen it in every social setting, when there is groveling in public and then contempt in private. The appearance is deceptive, for given the first opportunity to extricate himself from his situation, the servant will quickly turn on the master.
I don’t know if Seneca is just being nostalgic as he talks about how slaves were treated in the “old days”, but I do know that any relationship between a boss and a worker can only thrive when there is friendship and trust between them. Whatever the legal status, what is their moral status as persons?
I am most certainly my own man, in that I strive for a liberty of mind and will, yet I do not hesitate to freely follow another, even to the point of torture and death, if I know there is a greatness in his soul which retains the common touch, a willingness to be on the level.
I will obey his order, satisfied that he is also willing to listen. I will join my labors to his, assured that he has the wisdom to make the call for our common benefit. Trust is to be earned, not to be bought or to be beaten into us.
We are the same in dignity, though also varied in our capacities. The superior and the inferior are made to cooperate, as all degrees are complementary in Nature, like a head and a hand. Our too hasty love of a lazy egalitarianism often makes us forget this.
There are few things more inspiring than a man willing to serve out of friendship, and few things more demeaning than a man being treated like a tool.
Those who wish to control every aspect of others’ lives confuse their preferences for principles, assuming that their own desires should be taken as absolute law. I suspect that this is why they are so insistent on conformity in the tiniest of ways, including how we dress, speak, and all varieties of comportment.
If a Roman slave looked at his master the wrong way, he may well have been beaten. If the underling now looks at his boss the wrong way, he will get fired, and so lose his livelihood. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
The goal is to impose obedience by means of fear, and I wonder if the very feeling of dominance is far more important to the grasping men than any of the riches they acquire by means of their authority. The tycoon insists that profit is the bottom line, but is he actually craving the sheer thrill of power?
They say that those who can’t do, teach. I will add that those who can’t manage to rule themselves, occupy themselves by ruling others.
Now while the fear of pain can impose an outer deference, it will simply breed an inner resentment. I have seen it in every social setting, when there is groveling in public and then contempt in private. The appearance is deceptive, for given the first opportunity to extricate himself from his situation, the servant will quickly turn on the master.
I don’t know if Seneca is just being nostalgic as he talks about how slaves were treated in the “old days”, but I do know that any relationship between a boss and a worker can only thrive when there is friendship and trust between them. Whatever the legal status, what is their moral status as persons?
I am most certainly my own man, in that I strive for a liberty of mind and will, yet I do not hesitate to freely follow another, even to the point of torture and death, if I know there is a greatness in his soul which retains the common touch, a willingness to be on the level.
I will obey his order, satisfied that he is also willing to listen. I will join my labors to his, assured that he has the wisdom to make the call for our common benefit. Trust is to be earned, not to be bought or to be beaten into us.
We are the same in dignity, though also varied in our capacities. The superior and the inferior are made to cooperate, as all degrees are complementary in Nature, like a head and a hand. Our too hasty love of a lazy egalitarianism often makes us forget this.
There are few things more inspiring than a man willing to serve out of friendship, and few things more demeaning than a man being treated like a tool.
—Reflection written in 3/2013
This concept has a shadow side too though, if you look at it from the point of view of the slave. I'm thinking of the Mafia in The Godfather or how the Mexican drug cartels control certain areas of the country by providing basic "law" enforcement and paying for people's medical care or quincereas. Just because a master treats you well doesn't mean that they're worth following.
ReplyDeleteQuite right! And that is why one trusts someone with an informed conscience, not someone who bribes with favors. And that is also why such leaders are so incredibly rare.
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