“Slavery is founded in the selfishness of man’s nature – opposition to it is his love of justice. These principles are an eternal antagonism; and when brought into collision so fiercely, as slavery extension brings them, shocks and throes and convulsions must ceaselessly follow.”
- February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865
- American
- Politician, lawyer
- As the 16th President of the United States, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation and led the Civil War to maintain the unity of the nation.
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Quote
“Slavery is founded in the selfishness of man’s nature – opposition to it is his love of justice. These principles are an eternal antagonism; and when brought into collision so fiercely, as slavery extension brings them, shocks and throes and convulsions must ceaselessly follow.”
Explanation
In this quote, Abraham Lincoln describes the moral conflict at the heart of the slavery debate in the United States. He frames slavery as a manifestation of selfishness—a system that exploits and dehumanizes others for the benefit of a few. In contrast, he views opposition to slavery as stemming from justice and a fundamental belief in human equality. Lincoln recognizes that these two principles, selfishness and justice, are in eternal antagonism—they cannot coexist peacefully. When they are forced into direct conflict, as they were during debates over the extension of slavery into new territories, the result is inevitable social and political upheaval.
The “shocks and throes and convulsions” Lincoln refers to are the violent consequences of the nation’s inability to reconcile these conflicting principles. This reflects the deep moral and political divisions in America at the time, particularly leading up to the Civil War. The question of whether slavery should expand into new states and territories was a source of intense conflict, and the inability to find a resolution contributed to national division and, ultimately, civil war. Lincoln suggests that the nation’s moral reckoning with slavery is unavoidable, and the tension will continue to cause crises until resolved.
This quote remains relevant in modern discussions of social justice and human rights. It serves as a reminder that deep moral contradictions within societies—such as those around equality and exploitation—inevitably lead to conflict if not addressed. Just as slavery was a divisive issue in Lincoln’s time, modern societies still face challenges rooted in injustice and inequality, where moral principles often clash with entrenched interests. The quote speaks to the necessity of confronting such issues, as ignoring them only exacerbates tensions.
