We have the wolf by the ears, and we can neither hold him nor safely let him go. Justice is in one scale, self-preservation in the other.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Holding onto slavery creates a dangerous balance between justice and self-preservation.
- In plain terms
- Keeping slaves is risky because justice and safety conflict.
- What can you take from it?
- Slavery creates a moral and political dilemma.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can safety justify injustice?
- How to resolve moral conflicts?
Another view
The metaphor oversimplifies the complexity of abolition.
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