Freedom: unnatural slavery of man to man

In his essay "Freedom", Shaw says that human beings are slaves of nature, because we must eat, drink, sleep and obey her laws. This is "natural slavery". The slavery of one person to another, however, is "unnatural" and despicable.

Why it is despicable

1. Without pleasure. Nature compels us to eat, drink and sleep, but she makes these things pleasant. A human master, however, compels his slave to labour for the master's benefit, giving him no pleasure and often only the minimum to keep him working.
2. Unnecessary. The demands of nature cannot be avoided, but the demands of a master come from greed and power. No law of nature requires one person to serve another.
3. Destroys freedom and dignity. The slave loses the right to decide his own life and is treated as a tool or a piece of property. His mind and spirit are humiliated.
4. Exploitation. The master lives on the fruits of another's work, and the slave's effort is taken without fair reward.
5. Cruelty. Nature is a kind master; man is often cruel, punishing and humiliating the slave.
6. Corrupts the master too. Having power over others makes the master selfish and heartless.

Shaw therefore concludes that while man must accept the laws of nature, he must never accept slavery to another man. A just society should abolish all forms of human exploitation and give everyone real freedom.