The intellectual framework that justifies hierarchical control by arguing it is natural, efficient, or for the victims' own good. It uses historical determinism, pseudo-science, or theories of "order" to argue that oppressed groups are inferior, unprepared for freedom, or that their subjugation is essential for societal progress or stability.
Example: Defenders of colonial rule arguing it brought "civilization," railways, and governance to "backward" societies. The violence, cultural genocide, and extraction are rationalized as the difficult but necessary price of progress. This oppression rationalization treats domination as a tutelage, reframing the oppressor’s greed as a burden shouldered for the benefit of the oppressed.
by Abzugal February 8, 2026
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