Class systems differ from slavery in several ways. Class systems allow for movement within the social structure, are economicall
y based, are large and impersonal, and are built around income, ownership of wealth, education, occupation, and lifestyle. Which of these characteristics of class as a system is most closely tied to the defining characteristic of slavery as a system?
Most forms of slavery share these characteristics: (1) slaves are obliged to live their lives in perpetual service to their master, an obligation that only the master (or the state) can dissolve; (2) slaves are under the complete power of their masters, although the state or community may impose certain restrictions upon the master's treatment of the slave; (3) slaves are property, which may be sold or passed along as an inheritance at the master's discretion; and (4) the condition of slavery is transmitted from parent to child.
