How did the philosophes reconcile their ideas about human equality with institutions such as slavery and the disruption of indigenous peoples?
What will be an ideal response?
This situation created one of the great contradictions within the philosophes' debates. Previous intellectual thought justified the subjugation of other humans on the basis of religious adherence; European colonizers in the Americas justified enslaving the indigenous peoples because they were not Christian, and even if they converted, they were still held to be lower in worth than Europeans. However, as the Enlightenment began to discuss the value of humans in all categories, sweeping declarations were made about human rights, equality, and universality of the human condition. Philosophers such as Thomas Jefferson wrote about the inalienable rights of all mankind, but they kept slaves and did not differentiate among Africans, Native Americans, and other non-Europeans as deserving of citizenship or civil rights. This was largely because the African slave trade had existed for centuries within the European market and was considered an essential part in maintaining colonial interests. The slave trade rose in conjunction with slave-produced commodities. At the time, slavery had been justified in modern Europe on the basis of biblical passages. However, the Enlightenment in many cases consciously rejected organized religion, so that justification no longer could be given much weight. This was a substantial contradiction in Enlightenment thought.
You might also like to view...
The Louisiana Purchase initially presented a dilemma for President Thomas Jefferson because he believed it would
(a) lead to war with Great Britain (b) bankrupt the new nation (c) force Native American Indians off their lands (d) violate his strict constructionist view of the Constitution
African American activism contributed to social progress for other ethnicities because other ethnic groups __________.
a. were inspired by African American activism and launched their own protests b. had little success in making social change, since the country was weary of protests for racial justice c. were unimpressed with the strategies of African American activists and tried to enact social change in other ways d. were resentful of African American successes because the social changes of the sixties affected only African Americans
Which of the following is NOT a true statement about the People's Party?
A) It emerged from the farmers' alliances and farm movements of the West. B) It embraced the gold standard for currencies. C) It championed nationalization of certain industries and fairer distribution of wealth. D) It sought to reverse deflation to enable increases in crop prices. E) It advocated increased political transparency.
Which of the following best describes the South's military strategy in the Civil War?
A. Avoid destruction and wear out the North's willingness to fight. B. Invade the North and subjugate its citizens. C. Blockade Northern ports with its superior navy. D. Wage large-scale battles as often as possible to take advantage of their superiority in numbers. E. None of the above