Final answer:
The assumption that enslaved people deserve terrible treatment is an illustration of racism, a belief in the superiority of one race over another, leading to systemic oppression and inequality.
Step-by-step explanation:
A readiness to assume that enslaved people deserve the terrible treatment they receive best illustrates racism. Racism is a belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. This ideology underpins the assumption that some people, based on their race, inherently deserve differential and often inferior treatment.
In the historical context, such as during the times of slavery and segregation, racist attitudes were often justified by unfounded theories of biological differences and social hierarchies. The tragic outcomes of such beliefs include the dehumanization of individuals and the systemic oppression of entire groups of people, as exemplified by the institution of slavery and the era of apartheid in South Africa. Despite the abolishment of such overt systemic discrimination, implicit attitudes that reflect racial prejudice continue to exist in various forms and can lead to ongoing discrimination and inequality.