On My Honor

Understanding the Moral Obligations of A Dominant

By Norische

What is a Dominant's moral obligation to his or her slave? This is a very interesting question, one that can be answered in many manners.

In order to understand what is a Dominant's moral obligation to his slave, we must first understand the definition of "moral obligation". The legal definition is "a duty which one owes, and which one ought to perform, but which the individual cannot be legally bound to fulfill.

Kant in the Kritik der Practischen Vernunft (Critique of Practical Reason)(1788) proposed that man is inherently able to judge good and evil. The idea of how this declaration is obtained is still a wonderment to philosophers to this day. I believe one quote from Kant to explain things quite well, there are two things that inspire genuine awe "der bestirnte Himmel uber mir und das moralische Gesetz in mir" ("the starry sky above and the moral law within"). Kant stated that within each individual is a code of ethics, a moral law, if you will; he derived that it was this code that drove any rational being to explore the universal maxims or universal truths that we must all obey.

Kant brought up the ideal of free will, stating that there are actually two separate types of will. A heteronomous will, which is a will of obedience to rules of action that has been legislated externally of ones self, by society and or the majority at rule. There is also autonomous will, which is entirely self-legislated, is a will based on one's individual morals and codes of conduct. Autonomous will is no less genuine that the directive set aside by the majority, as long as the individual is of nominal faculties, and rational.

Kant stated that it is every individual's moral obligation to uphold their personal views and to stand by their own personal moral code. Another such supporter of a personal moral code is the Wiccans; I speak specifically of the Wicca Rede.

Bide the Wiccan Law ye must,
In perfect love, in perfect trust.
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:
An harm ye none, do as ye will.
And ever mind the Rule of Three:
What ye send out comes back to thee.
Follow this with mind and heart,
And merry ye meet, and merry ye part

I wish to point out those eight words that are so profound... "An harm ye none, do as ye will." The Wicca religion is neither the first nor the last to have such a foundation...

Brahmanism: "This is the sum of duty: Do naught unto others which would cause you pain done unto you". Mahabharata 5: 1517
Buddhism: "... a state that is not pleasing or delightful to me, how could I inflict that upon another?" Samyutta Nlkaya v 353
Christianity: "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them". Matthew 7:12
Confucianism: "Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you" Analects 15:23
Hinduism: " One should not behave towards others in a way which is disagreeable to oneself" Mencius Vii.A.4
Islam: "None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself." Number 13 of Imam `Al-Nawawi's Forty Hadiths"
Jainism: "A man should wander about treating all creatures as he himself would be treated." Sutrakritanga 1.11.33
Judaism: "What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man, This is the law: all the rest is commentary." Talmud, Shabbat 31a
Taoism: "Regard your neighbor's gain as your own gain, and your neighbor's loss as your own loss." Tai Shang Kan Ying P'ien
Zoroastrianism: "That nature alone is good which refrains from doing unto another whatsoever is not good for itself". Dadistan-i-dinik 94:5

The above examples are just a few of the multitude of references I have found on one's moral obligation to other individuals. The question is still present, what is a Dominant's moral obligation to his or her slave. The answer is quite simple... Treat your slave as you expect to be treated. As a Dominant it is your moral obligation to treat your slave with respect. Although respect must be earned, your slave is a valuable piece of property and must be treated as such.

To be honest and forthright with you're property; a relationship forged on lies and deceit is not a relationship it is a farce.

To ensure the safety and well being of your property; this includes the physical, emotional, and spiritual foundation of the slave. If the physical needs and requirements of the slave are met but the spiritual needs are ignored then the individual is not whole and hence cannot perform to the best of their ability.

To communicate with your slave, while silence is bliss, ignorance is not. To expect your slave to read your mind or automatically understand your wants, needs or instructions is to set the slave up for failure; this is destructive to both the slave' trust in the Dominant but also to the very foundation of the relationship itself.

To educate your slave, to strive to improve your slave through education and training is good for both the Dominant and the slave.

The more training and education the slave has the better the slave can serve.

These are the moral obligations a Dominant has towards his or her slave. I would like to state at this time that each relationship is different and the degree of responsibility to one another varies with each individual.

I have had individuals ask if the Dominant is morally obligated to supply medical attention to the slave, my answer is simply this... do you wish your property to function at is fullest capacity, if so then is it not logical to ensure its physical health and well being.

Another individual asked if a Dominant is suppose to support the slave financially, my answer was... it depends on the agreement you have with the slave. If you wish your slave to be a 24/7 live in slave and give all of his or her attention to you then is it not appropriate that you supply a means in which the individual does not have to leave the home to earn the finances to support themselves. I personally require each of my individuals to maintain at least a part time job, or have an alternative method of supporting themselves. I do this for several reasons, the least of which is that I believe it is good for their self esteem, it also helps me out and allows me to spend more time with them and less time working outside the home as well.

Each relationship is different and each one has unique obligations, if there is confusion as to one's obligations to his or her partner or slave, then communication is needed. A complete understanding is only a conversation away. Remember communication is truly a moral obligation.

As with everything this is my opinion, take what you will and leave the rest. If you wish to contact me, my email address is Norisch1@mchsi.com. If you wish to see more of my work you may find a complete listing of all my writings at... http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Norisches_Quill/?yguid=99788111 in the files section.

Norische

George Bernard Shaw (1903) "Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same."