The fact is, that civilisation requires slaves. The Greeks were quite right there. Unless there are slaves to do the ugly, horrible, uninteresting work, culture and contemplation become almost impossible. Human slavery is wrong, insecure, and demoralizing. On mechanical slavery, on the slavery of the machine, the future of the world depends.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Civilization depends on labor that many consider undesirable, making slavery—both human and mechanical—central to cultural development.
- In plain terms
- Culture needs work that most people avoid, historically through slavery.
- What can you take from it?
- Recognize the hidden labor behind cultural achievements.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can we replace exploitative labor with humane automation?
- What responsibilities do we have toward essential workers?
Another view
Human slavery is immoral; modern automation raises new ethical concerns.
More from Oscar Wilde
Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.
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Permalink to quote #199 High hopes were once formed of democracy; but democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people.
Permalink to quote #196
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