Decemberist
No, it is a job like all others. You have a choice to work or quit. You get moey for that. Sure, it may seem like "slavery" at first sight, but many other jobs do, too, depending on the eye of the beholder. Choosing the job was only your choice and nobody else's, so I don't know how can it be considered slavery.
The sin of silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.
^^
You have a choice, so it's all up to you. In my career I serve others and take commands from my superiors, I also give commands to people I am superior too. It's not for everybody, but I'm happy with it and do not consider myself a slave. I also have the choice to leave, though I choose not to because I am compensated fairly for my efforts.
If you feel happy with what you do and that you are properly compensated and have the right to leave whenever you wish, then you are not a slave to your job, not at all. In fact, that means you are lucky and should feel pretty good about the whole affair.
edited 24th Jun '11 9:34:20 AM by Barkey
likes the cheeses.
I don't think of a legally employeed maid or butler as significantly much more of a servant than I am in my corporate job. While our job duties differ, we're still working at the behest of our employer, and if we don't like the situation we can quit and look for something else.
A slave does not have such an option, and thus lacks the freedom to direct their own destiny.
Visit my contributor page to assist with the "I Like The Cheeses" project!
What if you work for Batman?
^^
Exactly. And to be honest, everybody has a boss, so to a point everybody is a servant. Your responsibilities and tasks are only degrading if you decide that they are.
edited 24th Jun '11 9:36:50 AM by Barkey
If that is your choice and you can leave if you want - then this one does not see the problem.
If we disagree, that much, at least, we have in common
The point about slavery being the worst thing that could happen to a human being, is because it takes away the slaves' humanity. Slaves are property, on the same level as cows or plows. Servant, on the other hand, are still human. They sell their services on their own behalf, and can leave whenever they want (and when their contract allows it, of course).
That's pretty much my answer to the question.
Nihilist Hippie
That's not true [1]
.
From Encyclopedia Britannica:
To start at the top, the highest position slaves ever attained was that of slave minister, or ministerialis. Ministeriales existed in the Byzantine Empire, Merovingian France, 11th-century Germany during the Salian dynasty, medieval Muscovy, and throughout the Ottoman Empire. A few slaves even rose to be monarchs, such as the slaves who became sultans and founded dynasties in Islām.
At a level lower than that of slave ministers were other slaves, such as those in the Roman Empire, the Central Asian Samanid domains, Ch’ing China, and elsewhere, who worked in government offices and administered provinces. Some of those slaves were government property, whereas others belonged to private individuals who employed them for government work.
On a level similar to that of slaves working in government were the so-called temple slaves. They were employed by religious institutions in Babylonia, Rome, and elsewhere. Unless they were ultimately destined for sacrifice to the gods, temple slaves usually enjoyed a much easier life than other slaves. They served in occupations ranging from priestess to janitor.
Slaves fought as soldiers and usually were considered of high status. In some societies military slaves belonged to private individuals, in others to the government. In 16th-century Muscovy, for example, cavalrymen purchased slaves who fought alongside them on horseback; in the later 17th century Muscovite slaves were relegated to guarding the baggage train. A special type of slave soldier was the Ottoman janissary. The Islāmic Ottoman Turks confiscated Christian children (called “the tribute children”), took them to Istanbul, and raised them to be professional soldiers, or janissaries. Some janissaries served as members of the palace guard and became involved in the succession struggles of the Ottoman Empire. The Egyptian Mamlūks were also professional soldiers of slave origin who rose to run the entire country. The African Hausa of Zaria and most Sudanic regimes included slaves in all ranks of the soldiery and command. The canoe crews of the West African coast were usually slaves. The British even had detachments of slave soldiers in the Caribbean.
Societies that explicitly refused to employ slaves in combat, such as Athens in its fleet, Rome in its infantry legions, or the American South in the Civil War, were rare. They took such action because fighting was done by freemen, and it was feared that it would be necessary to free the slaves if they could fight. In fact, all of those slave societies occasionally resorted to using slave soldiers when their military situations became desperate.
In many societies slaves were employed as estate managers or bailiffs. This was especially likely to be the case when it was deemed unfitting for freemen to take or give orders involving other freemen. Where such cultural taboos existed, managers were almost always either real outsiders (imported foreigners) or fictive outsiders (slaves). In Muscovy estate managers were a special category of slave, and they were the first whose registration with the central authorities was required.
Still other high-status slaves worked as merchants. Before the invention of the corporation, using slaves was one way to expand the family firm. The practice seems to have begun in Babylonia and was perpetuated in Rome, Spain, the Islāmic world, China, and Africa. Slaves were entrusted with large sums of money and were given charge of long-distance caravans. A few slaves in Muscovy were similarly employed in the Siberian fur trade. Other societies, particularly in the American South, forbade slaves to engage in commerce out of fear that they would sell stolen goods.
edited 24th Jun '11 10:06:03 AM by LoveHappiness
"Had Mother Nature been a real parent, she would have been in jail for child abuse and murder." -Nick Bostrom
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
I had classical history in high school, so I was aware of such things. But I was under the impression that we were talking about the sort of slavery that is a little fresher in memory of most people here. Cotton Plantations and all that.
Also, the very idea of a slave is that he/she is someone else's property. No matter how well you treat a slave, it is still not considered a full human on it's own.
edited 24th Jun '11 10:15:50 AM by Kayeka
Is that cake frosting?
If it's a job, I do not see the problem.
Matters would change if being a servant to another person would be what defines one, in one's own mind or in others' — that would be definitely undignified, I think.
But they seem to know where they are going, the ones who walk away from Omelas.
PARTY HARD!!!!
Do you may slave, OP?
If not, then I would be glad to be a servant. So far as I'm concerned, it would be a pretty darn cool job, so long as you don't have a jerk as your employer.
In fact, such a servant/master relationship is almost beautiful to me; the trust, the loyalty, nearly being a member of the family, and so on.
Not only that, but you get to hang out with a rich dude. It's a bitchin' awesome job.
Right, Konata?
I knew you'd say that. :)
edited 24th Jun '11 10:57:35 AM by TheMightyAnonym
Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! ~ GOD
Pro-Freedom Fanatic
Well, being a butler looks way less stressful than the average shitty job.
I imagine a rich dude's household will have a list of stuff that needs doing. Once that is taken care off, the butler's job is to stay around in case he's needed. Beats flipping burgers, if you ask me.
If your employer is an asshole, you can always find another. At any rate, you don't have to deal with as many pinheads as the average "deal with the public" job. Could be much worse.
Also, connections. A butler by definition has access to rich people. That's some networking goin'.
edited 24th Jun '11 11:03:51 AM by SavageHeathen
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.
I, personally, feel that the real question is: are you satisfied with your position? If the answer is "yes", there is no issue.
Well, in a way, practically everyone is a servant, regardless of their position. Politicians have to serve their constituents, Business Executives have to serve clients, Artists depend on the whims of their patrons for their income.
The great Bob Dylan one wrote a song about how everyone's gotta serve somebody. I think it was "The Ballad of Hollis Brown."
Oh My
Both Weiss and I have deemed that if you are happy being a butler then be a butler. If that is what makes you happy and it gives some form of meaning to your life then so be it that is what you live for. We have also deemed that this fellow needs a good stabbing. Well not a stabbing, but...eh.
Metaphorical stabbing? Stabbing. That is also not stabbing. But yes.
If someone wants to accuse us of eating coconut shells, then that's their business. We know what we're doing. - Achaan Chah
o hai
This some new buddhist nonsense I haven't heard about yet?
I like being a butler. It gives invincibility and super-efficiency I like my owner and don't mind a job that is pretty much designed to make the master feel better/avoid feeling worse in my specific case.
If people learned from their mistakes, there wouldn't be this thing called bad habits.
Pro-Freedom Fanatic
That's it. You've got to deal with one boss, wich you don't hate, performing tasks you don't deem stressful or demeaning. And his family, presumably. But you've given no indication on not getting along with them either. 
Beats 90% of jobs, then. Either you've got to deal with Pointy-Haired Boss or with moronic customers/clients all day.
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.
o hai
I do do tasks that are stressful or demeaning, they just aren't common cause my boss is nice.
If people learned from their mistakes, there wouldn't be this thing called bad habits.
There is, logically, only one 'worst thing that can ever happen to you'. There are many things claimed to be that. Therefore, the vast majority of such statements are false.
I seriously doubt being a slave could be anywhere close to the level of badness of continuous torture. I suspect being a slave would be generally worse than not being a slave, but if you had a good master it wouldn't be completely unbearable, and may even have good points to it. (Don't have to worry about having a place to live or regular meals, for example.)
And the most important part of the concept of slavery is not what kinds of jobs slaves tend to do, but the inability to decide major aspects of your life. Which means being a servant is totally different from being a slave.
Now, there is a grey area if you technically could quit, but you'd suffer fairly extreme negative consequences if you did. Such as in a 'company town' where if you can't afford to move out, it's either work for the company or be unemployed. But that's a digression.
If I'm asking for advice on a story idea, don't tell me it can't be done.
So you have a job that you like that pays you fairly that, while may not be the American Dream job is still a good job?
Not a problem at all, I'd say. Good living for that matter.
Fun Fact: Until a few decades ago, the area of law dealing with the relationship between employer and employee was commonly referred to as the Law of Master and Servant, so whoever said all employees are servants isn't far off the truth. Legally, it's a job like any other.
In modern "Western" countries, domestic staff are often immigrants from somewhere else (and possibly with dubious legal status), so there can end up being a degree of exploitation in the relationship because they're in a weak position to complain (e.g. they're poorly paid, don't get holidays and so on). However, that's more to do with immigration/workers' rights than being a servant as such.
"Well, it's a lifestyle"
...if the person with the specific life is a servant?
I heard a lot of things about how the status of being in slavery is the worst thing that could ever happen to you. Ever. Not even being constantly tortured for no reason can compare.
But what about a servant? You know, maids and butlers.
You still have to serve under someone else. You rely on their resources. You obey their commands. Sure, you can quit if you want, but you're still doing many things slaves also put up with, just with higher benefits.
I'm asking cause some dude went on a rant about how I should quit my job and go live by myself for "freedom" even though i'm much happier right now, and he seemed to be full of pity for me or something, as if my life was worthless.
If people learned from their mistakes, there wouldn't be this thing called bad habits.