Mantle of Responsibility (Earth-2042)

"Guardianship for all living things lies with those whose evolution is most complete. The Mantle of Responsibility shelters all."

- Core Mantle tenet

The Mantle of Responsibility, commonly referred to simply as the Mantle, is a philosophy originating with the Precursors and later associated with the Forerunners. The Mantle was the Forerunners' entitlement and responsibility for the protection and cultivation of the species and planetary systems within their Ecumene. The core tenet of the Forerunners' belief in the Mantle was that the most developed species should hold stewardship over all other life. In theory, the Mantle allowed competition and conflict as long as this did not threaten biodiversity in the galaxy; in practice, the Forerunners' often draconian rule in the name of the Mantle entailed the subjugation of "lesser" species by force to keep them in line and preventing them from threatening Forerunner primacy.

Source

 * https://www.halopedia.org/Mantle