in "pedagogy of the oppressed" (1970), freire, talks about the oppressors-oppressed distinction,seeing differences between the two positions in an unjust society: the oppressor and the oppressed. freire makes no direct reference to his most direct influence for the distinction, which stems back to a least hegel in 1802, and has since been reprised by many authors including engels, marx, lenin, gramsci, simone weil and others.