Note that Engels justifies the introduction of slavery by appeal to a normative, that is, moral, framework. Otherwise it wouldn't have been a great step forward. It would have just been.
--- On Sun, 7/26/09, Marv Gandall <marvgandall at videotron.ca> wrote:
> From: Marv Gandall <marvgandall at videotron.ca>
> Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Blue Dogs cashing in
> To: "LBO-Talk" <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org>
> Date: Sunday, July 26, 2009, 7:32 AM
> Sorry. I inadvertently omitted the
> meat of the Engels comment in Anti-Duhring (emphasis mine):
>
> "It is very easy to inveigh against slavery and similar
> things in general terms, and to give vent to high moral
> indignation at such infamies. Unfortunately all that this
> conveys is only what everyone knows, namely, that these
> institutions of antiquity are no longer in accord with our
> present conditions and our sentiments, which these
> conditions determine. But it does not tell us one word as to
> how these institutions arose, why they existed, and what
> role they played in history. AND WHEN WE EXAMINE THESE
> QUESTIONS, WE ARE COMPELLED TO SAY—HOWEVER CONTRADICTORY
> AND HERETICAL IT MAY SOUND—THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF
> SLAVERY UNDER THE CONDITIONS PREVAILING AT THAT TIME WAS A
> GREAT STEP FORWARD."
>
>