Elves again was: Wands and Wizards...Again

[kempermentor]

No: HPFGUIDX 183712

> Magpie:
> ...snip...
> I'm trying to imagine the ethical problem of a House Elf abolitionist 
> with an elf who didn't want to free the elf because it would hurt the 
> elf--though again we should note that House Elves' desire not to be 
> free is probably the only House Elf wish that always gets respected 
> by Wizards. I mean, Harry *could* free Kreacher. He could have let 
> Kreacher choose his master and then hand him over--it's Kreacher who 
> *can't* do things due to enchantment. Harry's the master and can 
> always do what he wants. He *didn't* let Kreacher choose his own 
> master because that would have been dangerous. (And then he gave him 
> orders against Kreacher's wishes because it was useful to Harry.) I 
> suppose an abolitionist who didn't want to free the elf (to avoid 
> Winky-like despair) would try to refrain from ever give orders and 
> try to work something out with the Elf.
 
Kemper now:
Kreacher wanted a different master other than Harry initially.  He
wanted to serve Bella or Draco.  He rebelled as best he could the
commands given to him by Harry pre-DH.  Nowhere in the books do the
Elves claim to desire slavery.  They express a desire to serve.  Even
though Dobby wants to be free from the Malfoys, he still wants to
serve and is apparently willing to be paid a meager wage to do so (why
no wizard/witch would take him up on that is beyond me; no wonder
Muggles almost wiped them out.)  Wizards/witches used the desire
(compulsion?) to serve a master to enslave them.  Dobby is not
enslaved at Hogwarts, no enchantment keeps him there (based on the
wage and the ability to go to Harry-neither his master nor
employer-when called), but he stays because he loves working for his
new master.


> Magpie:
> ... It's like an 
> abstract problem: can you find something wrong with slavery if a 
> person wants to be a slave? And I feel like it would still be wrong. 
> And I suspect there have been plenty of human slaves throughout 
> history who did have reasons to want to be slaves.

Kemper now:
That question doesn't refer to the Elves.  I address the Elf issue,
the question should be: if you want a servant and someone is willing
to serve you, is there anything wrong with that?  

Assuming that both beings are of age, my answer is 'no'.  Morality
only enters into issue if the server no longer wants to serve and the
'master' does something to hinder the server from his/her choice to leave.

Kemper