Spanking and Slavery: Parallel Justifications
By Chris Dugan, M.A.



 
 
 
 
 
 
 

    Numerous parallels exist between the justifications advanced in defense of slavery in the 19th century, and the  justifications advanced in defense of spanking in the 21st.

    Both proslavers and prospankers have claimed that God is on their side and that the Bible sanctions what they do.  Prospankers cite Proverbs 13:24.  Proslavers cited Leviticus 25:44-46.

    Both proslavers and prospankers have used propertarian arguments to defend what they do.  "They are MY slaves!  I paid good money for them and I am not going to let some &#%@ abolitionists tell me what to do with MY property!" / "They are MY kids!  I brought them into this world and I am not going to let some blankety blank psychobabbling liberals tell me I can't hit them!"

    Both proslavers and prospankers have argued that Africans/children are in some way "different" from the rest of humanity and that this justifies treating them in ways which would be unacceptable if done to anyone else.

    Both proslavers and prospankers argue from authority, pointing to famous people who either owned slaves or spanked. Rev. John Saffin defended slavery by noting that the biblical Abraham owned slaves:  "...our Imitation of him in this Moral Action is as warrantable as that of [adopting] his Faith... God set different Orders and Degrees of Men in the World... some to be High and Honorable, some to be Low and  Despicable.  Servants of sundry sorts and degrees, bound to obey; yea, some to be born Slave, and so to remain during their lives."

    Both proslavers and prospankers have argued that slavery/spanking is for the victims' own good.  Proslavers invoked the concept of "Ennoblement of the Heathen," arguing that the life of a slave in American was better that than freedom their native Africa, since as a slave, the African would be exposed to "Christian influences."
 

 REFERENCE

 Tise, L.E.  1988.  _Proslavery: A History of the Defense of Slavery in America_. Univ. of Georgia Press: Athens GA.


 

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