The paradox between the discourse of freedom and the practice of slavery marked the ascendancy of a succession of Western nations within the Early Modern global economy. The article considers the use of slavery as a metaphor by 17th and 18th Century philosophers, and suggests that that Hegel's dialectic of master and slave has its roots not only on the philosophical tradition, but in contemporary events such as the 1791 Haitian Revolution.
Enlightenment; Dialectic of master and slave; Haitian Revolution
