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Unnatural slavery according to Shaw

Short answer

Unnatural slavery is man forced to serve another, imposed by human greed, not nature. Unlike natural slavery to nature’s pleasant demands, it is unnecessary, joyless, exploitative, and robs freedom and dignity.

What is unnatural slavery according to Shaw? [Of Studies]

According to George Bernard Shaw (in "Freedom"), unnatural slavery is the slavery of one human being to another. It is called unnatural because it is not required by any law of nature; it is created by human greed and power.

Natural and unnatural slavery

  • Natural slavery is the slavery of man to nature. We must eat, drink and sleep to live. Nature, however, is a kind master: she makes eating, drinking and sleeping so pleasant that we often take more than we need.
  • Unnatural slavery is the slavery of man to man. One person is forced to work or obey for another person's benefit.

Features of unnatural slavery

  1. It is imposed by force or by social arrangements, not by nature.
  2. The slave works for the master's profit, and receives little benefit.
  3. It gives no pleasure; it brings hardship, fear and humiliation.
  4. It takes away freedom, choice and dignity.
  5. It exploits the weak by the strong.

Shaw's point is that although nobody can be free from nature, there is no justification for any person to be a slave of another. Freedom means freedom from the rule of other persons, and a civilised society should end such slavery.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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