During Daniel Defoe's time, the line of thinking that affected personal choice within British society was The Great Chain of Being. According to this model, there was a hierarchical structure of nature and life though to have been established by God as a master designer. This hierarchy was essentially unalterable, and men presented the highest form of life on Earth.
The influence of the Great Chain of Being can be traced in Daniel Defoe's work. Particularly in the way he thought of individuals of other races, like in "Robinson Crusoe" with Friday. This and other novels classify Africans or other natives as a missing link between European men and animals or beasts. The fixity of the Great Chain of Being implied that no progress could be made, granting European White superiority over natives of other areas.