their bodies, in which their excellence consists; and if what I
have said be true, they are slaves by nature, and it is advantageous to
them to be always under government. He then is by nature formed a slave
who is qualified to become the chattel of another person, and on that
account is so, and who has just reason enough to know that there is such
a faculty, without being indued with the use of it; for other animals
have no perception of reason, but are entirely guided by appetite,
and indeed they vary very little in their use from each other; for the
advantage which we receive, both from slaves and tame animals, arises
from their bodily strength administering to our necessities; for it
is the intention of nature to make the bodies of slaves and freemen
different from each other, that the one should be robust for their
necessary purposes, the others erect, useless indeed for what slaves are
employed in, but fit for civil life, which is divided into the duties of
war and peace; though these rules do not always take place, for slaves
have sometimes the bodies of freemen, sometimes the souls; if then it
is evident that if some bodies are as much more excellent than others as
the statues of the gods excel the human form, every one will allow that
the inferior ought to be slaves to the superior; and if this is true
with respect to the body, it is still juster to determine in the same
manner, when we consider the soul; though it is not so easy to perceive
the beauty of [1255a] the soul as it is of the body. Since then some
men are slaves by nature, and others are freemen, it is clear that where
slavery is advantageous to any one, then it is just to make him a slave.

CHAPTER VI

But it is not difficult to perceive that those who maintain the contrary
opinion have some reason on their side; for a man may become a slave two
different ways; for he may be so by law also, and this law is a certain
compact, by which whatsoever is taken in battle is adjudged to be the
property of the conquerors: but many persons who are conversant in law
call in question this pretended right, and say that it would be hard
that a man should be compelled by violence to be the slave and subject
of another who had the power to compel him, and was his superior in
strength; and upon this subject, even of those who are wise, some think
one way and some another; but the cause of this doubt and variety of
opinions arises from hence, that great abili