Most examples are contractual and involve the resolution of debt, benefits to family, and a promise of some eventual dream life style.
I issue on the table is voluntarily entering into slavery. It's hard to imagine finding a dream life style in slavery. If anyone is demented enough to buy that promise, he probably isn't competent to make such a decision so that doesn't work as an example. As for the first two, I could see at least the theoretical possibility of someone selling himself into slavery to benefit a loved one either due to debt or other consideration offered to the loved one in exchange. If the party had valuable skills, he would more likely enter into a work contract, that is, rent himself, rather than sell himself. But if the party had nothing of value to offer, rental may not do the trick. Still, if the party had nothing to offer, why would the buyer pay for him to be a slave?
So I'm still stuck without a viable example.
I tried to look at it from the perspective of the buyer. Why would someone want to own a slave rather than contract for services? The only explanation is that there's something terribly wrong with the buyer. Either he wants a slave because you can abuse a slave but not a contract employee or he's some kind of deviant who gets his kicks from the notion of owning someone, a power freak. Could a libertarian countenance willful abuse? Don't see how. It's one thing to support someone giving up his liberty in some theoretical exercise. But abuse kills the deal, seems to me. |
