By a divine paradox, wherever there is one slave there are two. So in the wonderful reciprocities of being, we can never reach the higher levels until all our fellows ascend with us.

Markham frames oppression as a reciprocal moral injury: the existence of a “slave” implies a corresponding “master,” and both are diminished by the relationship. The “divine paradox” suggests a spiritual or ethical law in which domination degrades the dominator as surely as it harms the dominated. Extending the idea beyond literal slavery, he argues that human progress is collective—social elevation cannot be secured privately while others are held down. The “wonderful reciprocities of being” points to interdependence: dignity, freedom, and moral development are shared conditions, so justice for one group is inseparable from justice for all.