Slavery Quote by Bernard Lewis
““Western technology made slavery unnecessary; Western ideas made it intolerable.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The End of the Middle Ages, 1990
Western tech removed the need for slavery; Western ideas made it morally unacceptable.
In simple terms: Technology ended slavery; ideas condemned it.
Key Takeaway
Recognize moral progress.
Themes
history
morality
technology
Mood
thoughtful
historical
Type
analytical
educational
When to use this quote
- human rights law
- educational curricula
Key Concepts
ethical evolution
social change
Questions to Reflect On
- How did ideas spread to end slavery?
- Can technology replace moral advocacy?
A Different Perspective
Technological change alone isn’t enough.
![“[T]he West did not invent slavery; the West ended slavery.” quote by Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5df/pat-buchanan-2005_abolitionism_t-he-west-did-not-invent-slavery-the-wes_1622119.jpg)
![“Different groups in the [Middle East] drew two lessons from [return of the shah in Iran] - one, that Americans were willing to use both force and intrigue to install or restore their puppet rulers in Middle Eastern countries; the other, that they were not reliable patrons when these puppets were…” quote by Bernard Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/89b/bernard-lewis-11653_middle-east_different-groups-in-the-middle-east-drew_37501.jpg)
![“Single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of a day; but a series of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period and pursued unalterably through every change of ministers, too plainly prove a deliberate, systematic plan of reducing [a people] to slavery.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/00c/thomas-jefferson-43_change_single-acts-of-tyranny-may-be-ascribed-t_5515.jpg)
