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80,000 Hours Podcast

#145 – Christopher Brown on why slavery abolition wasn't inevitable

Feb 11, 2023
02:42:24

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The success of the abolitionist movement was not inevitable and required dedicated individuals and persistent efforts.
  • The use of natural rights discourse and political opportunism played a crucial role in the growth of the anti-slavery movement.

Deep dives

Quakers and the Internal Witness Against Slavery

Quakers, notably the Society of Friends, were the first community to question the moral basis of slaveholding within their own ranks. Dissenters within the Society of Friends challenged the violence, wealth, and control of slavery, arguing that it contradicted their pacifist, simplicity, and humility values. These dissenting voices gained traction within the Quaker community and established a collective identity centered around the objection to slaveholding. This internal witness led to the expulsion of slaveholders from the Society and the establishment of anti-slavery principles as a defining characteristic of being a Quaker.

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