Between Slavery and Freedom: Philosophy and American Slavery (Blacks in the Diaspora) [Paperback]

Howard McGary Jr. (Author), Bill E. Lawson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 22, 1993 | Series: Blacks in the Diaspora

Using the writings of slaves and former slaves, as well as commentaries on slavery, Between Slavery and Freedom explores the American slave experience to gain a better understanding of six moral and political concepts—oppression, paternalism, resistance, political obligation, citizenship, and forgiveness. The authors use analytical philosophy as well as other disciplines to gain insight into the thinking of a group of people prevented from participating in the social/political discourse of their times.

Between Slavery and Freedom rejects the notion that philosophers need not consider individual experience because philosophy is "impartial" and "universal." A philosopher should also take account of matters that are essentially perspectival, such as the slave experience. McGary and Lawson demonstrate the contribution of all human experience, including slave experiences, to the quest for human knowledge and understanding.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

HOWARD MCGARY, Professor of Philosophy at Rutgers University, has published widely in African American philosophy and social philosophy. BILL E. LAWSON, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Delaware, is the editor of and a contributor to The Underclass Question. His research has focused on issues regarding political obligations and political oppression.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press; First Edition edition (February 22, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253207452
• ISBN-13: 978-0253207456
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #241,876 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars TWO BLACK PHILOSOPHERS LOOK AT SLAVERY IN AMERICA, December 10, 2010

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Steven H. Propp (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Between Slavery and Freedom: Philosophy and American Slavery (Blacks in the Diaspora) (Paperback)

Howard McGary is Professor of Philosophy at Rutgers State University in New Jersey. Bill E. Lawson is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Memphis.

They state in the Preface to this 1992 book, "The work started out as a philosophical examination of two slave narratives: My Bondage and My Freedom: The Autobiography of Frederick Douglass (Timeless Classic Books) and Twelve Years a Slave: (An African American Heritage Book). Along the way we realized that there were some recurring concepts that needed to be examined. The decision was made to examine several crucial ethical and social notions armed with what we took to be valuable but neglected insights gained from slave narratives as well as commentaries on slavery and philosophic analysis. This work is the result of our labor."

Here are some quotations from the book:

"It would be foolish to contend that there were no positive human interactions between slaves and slaveholders, or that slaveholders had no motive for doing things that benefited slaves. Clearly, after the abolition of the slave trade in 1808, slaveholders had good self-interested reasons for looking out for the welfare of their slaves." (Pg. 17)

"Even if it were the case that slaveholders genuinely believed that slavery was paternalistic, it does not follow that it WAS paternalistic. Historians must separate mere rationalizations and gross self-deception from reality." (Pg. 22)

"If I am right that courage involves taking risks that can not be described as minor, then clearly some acts of resistance will not qualify as courageous acts. When we are informed about the full range of acts of resistance to slavery, then we will see that in the day-to-day acts of resistance, courage was not always the issue." (Pg. 54)

"But a careful reading of Locke's work and an insightful reading of black history support, as do our laws on citizenship, the conclusion that politically unprotected blacks in the United States are citizens and, as such, have legal obligations to the state. Just as important, the United States has obligations to blacks." (Pg. 70)

"What is important is that there is no word in English that can be used to characterize the plight of the descendents of slaves in our society. What is wanted is something on a par with 'refugee.'" (Pg. 89)

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking view on slavery, November 3, 2000

By 

Jennifer Jacobson (East Lansing, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Between Slavery and Freedom: Philosophy and American Slavery (Blacks in the Diaspora) (Paperback)

I had Dr. Lawson for a class as an undergraduate at Michigan State University. This book looks at slavery in ways that most people wouldn't ever think of. It bring up various arguments as to what was the defining mark of slavery. Lawson himself argues that the oppression of humans was the defining mark. I didn't agree with all the agruments in this book, the arguments are thought provoking and worth giving time and thought to.