Lectures on the Philosophy and Practice of Slavery: As Exhibited in the Institution of Domestic ...

Essays that treat the topic of slavery in many ways, especially finding validity for slavery as an abstract principle, both as instituted by the Bible and as a reflection of the authoritarian bases of religious and civil government. Smith argues for the fitness of the system to supply the needs and cater to the limited abilities of slaves, arguing against the idea of equal rights for unequal people. He refutes emancipation, warning that civil chaos would result, asserting that the slave system is beneficial for all Southerners and is related to the greater stability of the South versus the North. The last essay lays out the responsibilities of slave-owners to ask for reasonable work and to provide all the necessities of life to the slave.