In his book "Violent Saviors: The West’s Conquest of the Rest," author William Easterly traces the ongoing struggle of liberal thinkers advocating for the intrinsic dignity of every individual. He delves into the liberal tradition that has consistently criticized conquests carried out without the consent of the people being conquered, drawing from historical figures such as Adam Smith and Frederick Douglass, and extending to 20th and 21st-century thinkers, including Milton Friedman and Dambisa Moyo.

Easterly defines dignity as the inherent desire of every person to lead their own lives, introducing the more modern concept of "agency." He notes that while the term was rarely used by early liberals, their demands encapsulated similar ideas including consent, freedom, democracy, self-determination, and individual rights—core tenets that reflect a commitment to empowering individuals rather than imposing external governance.

The book ultimately provides a critical examination of liberalism's evolution and its relevance to contemporary discussions about autonomy and consent, presenting a call to recognize the importance of giving a voice to the addressed populations in any discourse concerning their lives and governance. By revisiting these philosophical foundations, Easterly invites readers to contemplate the moral imperatives surrounding consent and individual agency in the context of historical and modern conquests.