Over the past two decades, writings generalizing about the place of Aborigines in Australia at the national level and proposing policies have been dominated by what I will call the ‘self‐determination’ approach. This approach has made little theoretical or substantive contribution at the level at which moral judgement and policy have been directed because moral and political concerns have constrained and biased inquiry. This paper offers a critique of the self‐determination approach by focusing on the works of Professor Tatz, who has been a major influence in its development and proselyt