Slavery

Slavery is a legal or economic system in which principles of property law are applied to humans allowing them to be classified as property, to be owned, bought and sold accordingly, and they cannot withdraw unilaterally from the arrangement. While a person is a slave, the owner is entitled to the productivity of the slave's labour, without any remuneration. The rights and protection of the slave may be regulated by laws and customs in a particular time and place, and a person may become a slave from the time of their capture, purchase or birth.

Today, chattel slavery is unlawful in all countries, but a person may still be described as a slave if he or she is forced to work for another person without an ability on their part to unilaterally terminate the arrangement. Such situations are today commonly referred to as "practices similar to slavery". The present form of the slave trade is commonly referred to as human trafficking.

Slavery existed before written history and in many cultures. It was once institutionally recognized by most societies, but has now been outlawed in all countries, the last being Mauritania in 2007. However, it continues through such practices as debt bondage, serfdom, domestic servants kept in captivity, certain adoptions in which children are forced to work as slaves, child soldiers, human trafficking and forced marriage. Accordingly, there are more slaves today than at any time in history, with an estimated 20 million to 36 million slaves worldwide.

Stefan Molyneux

Stefan Basil Molyneux (/stɛˈfæn ˈmɑːlɪnjuː/; born September 24, 1966) is a Canadian blogger. Molyneux's areas of interest include anarcho-capitalism, secular ethics, libertarianism, cryptocurrencies, and familial relationships. He is a self-published author and has spoken at libertarian conferences and on podcasts. Molyneux formerly worked in the software industry.

Background

Molyneux was born in Ireland and moved to Canada when he was about 12 years old. After attending the Glendon College of York University, where he was a member of Theatre Glendon and the Debating Society, he attended the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal. Molyneux received a B.A. in History from McGill University in 1991 and an M.A. in History from University of Toronto in 1993.

In early 1995, he and his brother Hugh founded Caribou Systems Corporation, a Toronto-based provider of environmental database software. Stefan was the salesman for the company. The company was sold in 2000.

Molyneux was raised in the Protestant Christian tradition, however describes himself as an atheist.