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Abstract
In order to protect the indigenous population of the Americas from slavery and war, Bartolomé de Las Casas (+1566) carries out a cultural turn in the understanding of what is considered “natural”. The idea that there are slaves by nature was explained in the colonial period by recourse to Aristotle and in view of the inhabitants of the West Indies. A warlike subjugation of disobedient and rebellious slaves was therefore a “natural” affair - like the entire European expansion. Drawing on Aristotle’s understanding of ethos and Aquinas’ considerations of human beings’ natural knowledge of God, Las Casas initiates a culturalist interpretation of human nature. In this way, the indicators that are supposed to qualify the Indians as homunculi and slaves by nature are re-qualified as indicators of authentic humanity. The article reconstructs Las Casas’ innovative cultural argumentation
Highlights
Este artigo está licenciado sob forma de uma licença Creative Commons Atribuição 4.0 Internacional, que permite uso irrestrito, distribuição e reprodução em qualquer meio, desde que a publicação original seja corretamente citada. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.pt_BR
In order to protect the indigenous population of the Americas from slavery and war, Bartolomé de Las Casas (+1566) carries out a cultural turn in the understanding of what is considered “natural”
Drawing on Aristotle’s understanding of ethos and Aquinas’ considerations of human beings’ natural knowledge of God, Las Casas initiates a culturalist interpretation of human nature
Summary
Valeat Aristoteles! A Christo enim qui est Veritas aeterna habemus: Diliges proximum tuum sicut teipsum. The Dominican Bartolomé de Las Casas (1484/85-1566) bids Aristotle (384-322 BC) farewell - for, Christ has come Should Aristotle disagree in this case, Las Casas reminds us that the Greek philosopher was only a heathen and is burning in the fires of hell. These drastic words came in a dispute with Juan Cabedo, the first bishop of Tierra Firme, of Santa María del Darién in Panamá. It was only three years later that Las Casas joined the Dominican Order and would, have become acquainted with Aristotle’s philosophy. Las Casas was, as Lewis Hanke puts it in his book Aristotle and the American
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