Classical Studies Presents

Augustine’s Varieties of Natural Slavery: A Talk by Toni Alimi, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Classics, Cornell University

Augustine is typically interpreted as having denied that there are natural slaves. Aspects of Augustine’s account of slavery were central to 17th-century English rationalizations for slavery. However, his account left open several lacunae that these pro-slavers turned to Aristotle to fill. The methods for filling these lacunae were in turn central to the legal codification of some modern notions of race, including three familiar features: first, that race is immutable; second, that race is inheritable; third, that Blacks are deficient to whites. This talk will discuss Aristotle's work and how it was interpreted in the 17th century.

---

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail ungvary@bard.edu.

Time: 5:15 pm EDT/GMT-4

Location: Olin Humanities, Room 102

Subscribe: Save this Event: Subscribe / .ics File