Oppressors–oppressed distinction or dominant–dominated opposition is a political concept. One of the first theorists to use it was
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (; ; 27 August 1770 – 14 November 1831) was a German philosopher. He is one of the most important figures in German idealism and one of the founding figures of modern Western philosophy. His influence extends ...
, who wrote in his 1802 ''The German Constitution'': "The Catholics had been in the position of oppressors, and the Protestants of the oppressed."
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 ...
made the concept very influential, and it is often considered a fundamental element of
Marxist analysis. Some have judged it simplistic. Many authors have adapted it to other contexts, including Marx,
Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels ( ,["Engels"](_blank)
'' Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1 ...
,
Antonio Gramsci,
Simone Weil
Simone Adolphine Weil ( , ; 3 February 1909 – 24 August 1943) was a French philosopher, mystic, and political activist. Over 2,500 scholarly works have been published about her, including close analyses and readings of her work, since 1995.
...
,
Paulo Freire
Paulo Reglus Neves Freire (19 September 1921 – 2 May 1997) was a Brazilian educator and philosopher who was a leading advocate of critical pedagogy. His influential work '' Pedagogy of the Oppressed'' is generally considered one of the found ...
, and others. It has been used in a variety of contexts, including discussions of the
bourgeoisie and
proletariat,
imperialism, and
self-determination.
Imperialism and self-determination
The theory of oppressor and oppressed nations has been part of
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1 ...
's thought on imperialism, self-determination and criticisms of Social Democrats. Lenin wrote:
Criticism
The political philosopher
Kenneth Minogue provides a criticism of the oppressors–oppressed distinction in his work ''The Pure Theory of Ideology''.
References
Footnotes
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
1802 introductions
Philosophical arguments
Social concepts
{{Poli-stub