Pre-Enlightenment values means that human life itself is a commodity.
One could argue that elites in the world today *still* operate from that position. Only the parameters have changed to more granular values. For example - it seems to be acceptable to citizens of the Western World that largely has abolished institutional slavery (which is not true - we use our prison population for slave labor to make products for the military, and now commercially called "correctional industries" where they are paid pennies on the dollar in most cases), we're perfectly fine with slavery in the form of foreign nations that practice slavery to build our items of convenience.
But let's be real, we're really talking about the common-folk or means, whip-cracking, slavery of old where our Adventurers wander around the streets and can go to the slave-market and see people up for sale on the block and realize "Hey! I can actually afford that!"
The "problem" is most GM's don't really give a lot of thought to the cultural economy and reality about how slavery would operate. Whether you call it 'indentured servitude' or 'correctional industry' or 'familial manservant inperpetuity' - or whatever, these things have gradations and cultural mores associated with them that differ wildly.
You can argue the whip-cracking, beat-your-slave's-ass to death kinda culture is as much a corollary of the values of "life" itself more than the legal status of the slave. As a commodity I think it's overblown that slave owners would kill their slaves with impunity *in general* because that's money down the drain, and not good for business. But in cultures where life is literally cheap - that may very well be the case. Most GM's don't take that kind of thought into consideration for effect. Because it's easy to have the Django-esque slave-owner that cinematically has endless amounts of slaves to kill for sport, rather than running the business of their lives. Which unironically is how must naive and stupid people view "slavery" whenever the word comes up. As pointed out in this very thread, the historical reality of slavery across the world is more technical (and interesting).
Assigning "good and evil" writ large is a shifty thing, based solely on "slavery" given its historical relevance and current practice. It's easy to be EEEEEEVIL. But in context what does that mean when individuals themselves don't have the same values that their own alleged culture espouses?
Greetings!
Excellent, my friend! Yeah, cultures and societies--both in "Ancient Times" as well as currently, are all over the map with moral values and how consistent they are. Greece an Rome both believed in the values of freedom, humanity, law, dignity, and rights--but these values were applied to certain kinds of people, either by civilization or race, or also by social and economic status. Carthaginians were slaughtered entirely--their relative wealth, status, or skills were deemed irrelevant. They were slaughtered by the Romans, and their women and children plundered as slaves by the hundreds of thousands. Likewise, Romans respected Iberians, Greeks, and Syrians, but Britons, Goths, Egyptians? Considerably less so. These kinds of things of course varied in degree by circumstance and time, as well. Centuries after the subjugation of the Carthaginian Empire, Carthage was rebuilt, and people born and raised in the province were respected Roman citizens.
Just like with today. People don't give a fuck about slaves or slavery. As long as they get to eat whatever they want, fuck like monkeys, and wear Nike shoes--the slaves can keep on being subjugated. Millions of people slave away in China--often confined to special "Worker's Barracks" or apartments, constantly under surveillance, their social time controlled, and they are required to work 10, 12, 14 hours a day. It seems to vary by region, industry, and so on. They are paid a nickel an hour, and exist on starvation wages. They are constantly supervised, or at least most of the time, an controlled. Anyone getting uppity or smart mouthed gets their ass beat down. Run their mouth again, think they're a tough guy?--a Black van with armed men comes and gets them--and their families--in the middle of the night, and they simply disappear, and are never seen again.
That sounds like terrifying and brutal slavery to me, even if those people are not technically or officially termed as "slaves". But no one cares. They grind away, by the MILLIONS in China, in particular, but we have seen reports and investigations over the years with similarly brutal slave camps and slave conditions with Nike in Indonesia and other parts of South East Asia where Nike and other companies pay the government officials hundreds of millions of dollars to "look the other way" while workers are brutally treated, and forced to work where, when, and how Nike and their masters determine they do so. I've also read about how hordes of young girls are enslaved and forced to serve as breeders and whores. They don't like it? They get beaten, and then fed to the fucking crocodiles. Many times these girl's families are actually paid a considerable fee, and thereby forget about their daughter.
In Africa--Muslim and Black slave masters buy, sell, and own slaves, both men and women. Do we hear any "African American' activists or goody Liberal cock-sucking white champions here screaming about these horrible atrocities?
No. They are worried about a group of black people being seated on a different side of a fucking restaurant, or some phony "Hate crimes" where swastikas were painted on a school wall...by a black African-American girl.
All kinds of horrifying injustices going on around the world. But few people actually give a fuck. The population, the media, government agencies? Where are the celebrities, the media companies, screaming about how China and Black Muslims in Africa are oppressing and enslaving hundreds of thousands or millions of people? Black African Christians are routinely raped, gang fucked, enslaved, and murdered in many parts of Africa, often by the government or groups sanctioned by the government. Most of the most oppressive groups, organizations, and governments in Africa are, of course, Muslim. How come people here in America or in Western Europe aren't screaming about that?
Smug, Liberal's do-gooder hypocrisy, blindness, and obvious political self-interest, as you know, can be very frustrating. Just another reason why I despise most of modern Liberalism and modern Liberals. It is absolutely phony and corrupt, and smug, as well as petty and self-satisfied and spoiled. Decadent and gross. Liberals are morally disgusting on every level in so many ways. All o their constant crying abut "representation"; "rights"; and "dignity" for women, for gays, trans, or for racial minorities--it is all gross political and ideological performance theater, and absolutely corrupt and rotten to the core, like a bad apple let for too long out in the sun.
So many inconsistencies throughout the world and in society. There always have been. Slavery in the game can and should exist, because it is historically accurate and enhances the verisimilitude!
Plus, it provides enhanced dramatic effects and emotionalism for the Player Characters.
I have slavery in many regions of my campaign world. Slaves being bred, and put up on the slave block, to advertise their assets to their future masters and mistresses! Plus, it's entertaining watching the Player's faces when they see what's going on down at the local slave market. I like Sword & Sorcery themes too. Conan lived in a harsh and brutal world, too.
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK