The Problem of Slavery in Western Culture
David Brion Davis
"Winner of several national awards including the 1967 Pulitzer Prize, this classic study by David Brion Davis has given new direction to the historical and sociological research of society's attitude towards slavery. Davis depicts the various ways different societies have responded to the intrinsic contradictions of slavery from antiquity to the early 1770's in order to establish the uniqueness of the abolitionists' response. While slavery has always caused considerable social and psychological tension, Western culture has associated it with certain religious and philosophical doctrines that gave it the highest sanction. The contradiction of slavery grew more profound when it became closely linked with American colonization, which had as its basic foundation the desire and opportunity to create a more perfect society.
Award History
2 wins · 3 total
| Award | Year | Result | Category / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pulitzer Prize in General NonfictionMajor | 1967 | Winner | Secondary source |
| Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards: Nonfiction | 1967 | Co-winner | Official source |
| National Book Award for History and BiographyMajor | 1967 | Finalist | Secondary source |
Experimental book profileGenerated by GPT-5.4 nano · may contain inaccuracies
This is an unverified interpretation of the catalog description, offered as an opt-in discovery experiment—not as bibliographic fact.
01 Central figures
None extracted with sufficient confidence.
02 Central places
None extracted with sufficient confidence.
03 Suggested argument
Western culture associated slavery with religious and philosophical doctrines that sanctioned it most highly, and when slavery was linked to American colonization, the contradiction of slavery became more profound.
Model confidence 66%
04 Reading orientation
70 / 100 academicAcademic
An estimate of intended readership and scholarly apparatus—not quality or importance.
Confidence percentages are the model's own estimates. Profile confidence: 62%.