Arbitrary Rule: Slavery, Tyranny, and the Power of Life and Death

Name: Arbitrary Rule: Slavery, Tyranny, and the Power of Life and Death
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Book Synopsis: Slavery appears as a figurative construct during the English revolution of the mid-seventeenth century, and again in the American and French revolutions, when radicals represent their treatment as a form of political slavery. What, if anything, does figurative, political slavery have to do with transatlantic slavery? In Arbitrary Rule, Mary Nyquist explores connections between political and chattel slavery by excavating the tradition of Western political thought that justifies actively opposing tyranny. She argues that as powerful rhetorical and conceptual constructs, Greco-Roman political liberty and slavery reemerge at the time of early modern Eurocolonial expansion; they help to create racialized “free” national identities and their “unfree” counterparts in non-European nations represented as inhabiting an earlier, privative age.

Arbitrary Rule is the first book to tackle political slavery’s discursive complexity, engaging Eurocolonialism, political philosophy, and literary studies, areas of study too often kept apart. Nyquist proceeds through analyses not only of texts that are canonical in political thought—by Aristotle, Cicero, Hobbes, and Locke—but also of literary works by Euripides, Buchanan, Vondel, Montaigne, and Milton, together with a variety of colonialist and political writings, with special emphasis on tracts written during the English revolution. She illustrates how “antityranny discourse,” which originated in democratic Athens, was adopted by republican Rome, and revived in early modern Western Europe, provided members of a “free” community with a means of protesting a threatened reduction of privileges or of consolidating a collective, political identity. Its semantic complexity, however, also enabled it to legitimize racialized enslavement and imperial expansion.

Throughout, Nyquist demonstrates how principles relating to political slavery and tyranny are bound up with a Roman jurisprudential doctrine that sanctions the power of life and death held by the slaveholder over slaves and, by extension, the state, its representatives, or its laws over its citizenry.

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Are you ready to dive into a thought-provoking exploration of the connection between political slavery and transatlantic slavery? Look no further than Arbitrary Rule: Slavery, Tyranny, and the Power of Life and Death. This groundbreaking book by Mary Nyquist delves into the tradition of Western political thought, examining how the concepts of political and chattel slavery intersect and shape our understanding of freedom. Unlock the discursive complexity of political slavery with Nyquist's expert analysis of canonical texts like Aristotle, Hobbes, and Locke, as well as literary works by renowned authors. Dive into the depths of this captivating research that bridges the fields of Eurocolonialism, political philosophy, and literary studies.

In Arbitrary Rule, Nyquist uncovers how the ancient rhetorical and conceptual constructs of Greco-Roman political liberty and slavery resurface during early modern Eurocolonial expansion. These constructs serve as powerful tools in the creation of racialized national identities, setting up a dichotomy between "free" Europeans and their "unfree" counterparts in non-European nations. By intertwining political philosophy, colonialist writings, and works of literature, Nyquist reveals how ideas of antityranny discourse emerged in Athens, were embraced by Rome, and ultimately influenced early modern Western Europe. This discourse allowed individuals within a "free" community to safeguard their privileges and establish a collective political identity. However, it also facilitated the justification of racialized enslavement and imperial expansion.

But that's not all! In Arbitrary Rule, Nyquist delves even deeper, shedding light on the Roman jurisprudential doctrine that underpins principles of political slavery and tyranny. This doctrine grants slaveholders the power of life and death over their slaves, extending to the state, its representatives, and its laws over its citizenry. Through meticulous analysis and comprehensive research, Nyquist seamlessly weaves together the domains of political philosophy, literature, and colonialism, providing readers with a groundbreaking perspective on the intricate relationship between political and transatlantic slavery.

Don't miss your chance to gain valuable insights from Arbitrary Rule: Slavery, Tyranny, and the Power of Life and Death. Grab your copy today and embark on a journey of discovery through the entangled histories of political thought, slavery, and colonialism. Expand your understanding and challenge your preconceptions. Act now and order your copy of Arbitrary Rule to unravel the complexities of political slavery once and for all.

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