Vitoria

toc

Background
include page="Vitoria background" editable="true" Francisco Vitoria (1486-1546) was a Spanish Dominican. He was the founder of the tradition of philosophy known as the School of Salamanca, and is considered to be the 'father of international law.' Vitoria argued that the rights of soveriegns are derived from the universal laws governing that human community, and that the conduct of soveriegns must be judged by those laws. His lecture 'On the American Indians' debates the legalities and entitlement of Spanish rule of the Native Americans, or 'barbarians' as Aristotle would say. The two main general aspects of his lecture are: ruling the Native Americans and spiritually 'guiding' them. Vitoria's lecture attempts to legitimize Spanish imperialism, but he did not necessarily believe this to be legitimate himself.

Readings

 * Vitoria, [|On the American Indians] ([|part II] of the [|De Indis et De Jure Belli]; [|part III] is also worth looking at), pp. 231-241 in [|Brown et al] (though incomplete there).

Summary
include page="Vitoria summary" editable="true"

Study Questions
include page="Vitoria study questions" editable="true"

Lecture Notes
include page="Vitoria Lecture Notes" editable="true"

External Resources
include page="Vitoria resources" editable="true"

Selected Bibliography
include page="Vitoria bibliography" editable="true"