Although Hochschild is critical, in some ways, of the Congo reform movement, he respects it in its historical context. Thus, even if Morel may have been too limited in the scope of his thinking, the Congo reform movement advanced the cause of human rights itself, inspiring human rights advocates in future decades to risk their safety for the greater goods of freedom and equality. And, in some ways, Morel
was a radical figure—he was one of the first Europeans to argue that the Congolese didn’t just deserve their freedom—they deserved control over their own land.