Enslavement: Past and Present

by Orlando Patterson

Slavery is one of humanity’s most ancient and persistent inequities.  It predates the rise of civilization, played a key role in the growth of Western and Islamic cultures and was an integral part of the emergence and global spread of capitalism.  Given its historical significance, it is not surprising that the problem of slavery is still passionately debated today and that modern-day trafficking and forced servitude remain key issues of public concern.

In  Past and Present, historical sociologist Orlando Patterson casts a wide net to examine the social, political, and economic complexities of slavery across different eras and societies.  Patterson examines slavery at several levels of abstraction, from micro-level relations of domination to the macro-structures of entire societies. Building on the 'bundle of rights' perspective, he reevaluates the definition of slavery, exposing its variegated fabric of iniquities across tribal and advanced pre-modern societies as well as our modern globalized age. Patterson also examines the critical role of women in the history of slavery, the significance of manumission in the formation of Christian doctrine, and the devastating toll of genocide and undaunted revolt of slaves in Jamaican slave society. Concluding with an investigation of contemporary slavery and other forms of servitude, this book urges readers to reckon with the brutal legacies of the past and its alarming modern-day persistence.

Past and Present deepens our understanding of the broad spectrum of evil and human bondage throughout history, an understanding that is essential for contemporary struggles to build a more inclusive society for all.

352 pages, Hardcover

Published January 29, 2025

About the author

Orlando Patterson is John Cowles Professor of Sociology at Harvard University; the author of Freedom in the Making of Western Culture, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction, and Slavery and Social Death; and the editor of The Cultural Matrix: Understanding Black Youth, for which he was awarded the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Lifetime Achievement. His work has been honored by the American Sociological Association and the American Political Science Association, among others, and he is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He served as Special Advisor for Social Policy and Development to Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley and was awarded the Order of Distinction by the Government of Jamaica.

Reviews

[Circa24 Circa24 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book by Orlando Patterson that I have read, and it makes an excellent pairing with his other major work, Slavery and Social Death. Here, Patterson analyzes slave systems through history and across cultures and finds one key feature that spans them all: the social death and loss of humanity, the loss of social personhood. The loss of recognition of the humanity of the enslaved person permits the stripping away of rights, identity, and belonging to a social group. This loss of recognition of being paves the way for other abuses, allowing the enslaved to be treated in any way.

Despite this commonality, societies have treated their enslaved in different ways for different purposes. In some societies, enslavement provided a source of labor, but in others, the presence of a demeaned group provided stability and a greater benefit to the non-enslaved than any labor that could be derived.

[Martyn Beeny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enslavement: Past and Present is a profound, rigorously researched, and deeply important examination of one of humanity's most enduring institutions. In this powerful work, Orlando Patterson brings decades of scholarship to bear on the history, sociology, and continuing realities of slavery, offering readers a sweeping analysis that is both intellectually challenging and urgently relevant.

What distinguishes this book is Patterson's remarkable ability to move seamlessly between broad historical patterns and the lived realities of enslaved people across different societies and time periods. Rather than treating slavery as a single, fixed institution, he explores its many forms, revealing how systems of domination have evolved while retaining common features that continue to shape human societies today.

Particularly compelling is Patterson's examination of slavery through multiple lenses social, economic, political, religious, and cultural. His discussions of women's roles within slave systems, the significance of manumission, the development of Christian doctrine, and the experiences of enslaved people in Jamaica add depth and nuance to an already impressive study. The analysis is scholarly yet accessible, making complex ideas understandable without sacrificing intellectual rigor.

The book's exploration of modern forms of slavery and servitude is especially impactful. By connecting historical systems of bondage to contemporary issues such as human trafficking and forced labor, Patterson demonstrates why understanding the past remains essential for confronting injustices in the present.

Comprehensive, thought provoking, and deeply humane, Enslavement: Past and Present is an essential contribution to historical and sociological scholarship. It challenges readers to engage with difficult truths while providing invaluable insight into the structures of power, oppression, and resistance that have shaped the human experience across centuries.