Valladolid debate
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TheValladolid debate(1550–1551 inSpanishLa Junta de ValladolidorLa Controversia de Valladolid) was the first moral debate in European history to discuss the rights and treatment ofIndigenous peopleby European colonizers. Held in theColegio de San Gregorio,in theSpanishcity ofValladolid,it was a moral and theological debate about theconquest of the Americas,its justification for the conversion toCatholicism,and more specifically about the relations between the European settlers and the natives of theNew World.It consisted of a number of opposing views about the way natives were to be integrated into Spanish society, their conversion to Catholicism, and their rights.
A controversial theologian,Dominican friarand Bishop ofChiapasBartolomé de las Casas,argued that theNative Americanswere free men in the natural order despite their practice ofhuman sacrificesand other such customs, deserving the same consideration as the colonizers.[1]Opposing this view were a number of scholars and priests, including humanist scholarJuan Ginés de Sepúlveda,who argued that thehuman sacrificeof innocents,cannibalism,and other such "crimes against nature" were unacceptable and should be suppressed by any means possible, including war.[2]
Although both sides claimed to have won thedisputation,there is no clear record supporting either interpretation. The affair is considered one of the earliest examples of moral debates aboutcolonialism,human rightsof colonized peoples, andinternational relations.In Spain, it served to establish Las Casas as the primary, though controversial defender of the Indians.[3]He and others had contributed to the passing of theNew Lawsof 1542, which limited theencomienda systemfurther.[4]Though they did not fully reverse the situation, the laws achieved considerable improvement in the treatment of Indigenous people in the Americas and consolidated their rights granted by earlier laws.[4]
Background
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Spain's colonization and conquest of the Americas inspired an intellectual debate especially regarding the compulsory Christianization of the Indians.Bartolomé de las Casas,aDominican friarfrom theSchool of Salamancaand member of the growingChristianHumanistmovement, worked for years to oppose forced conversions and to expose the treatment of Indigenous people in theencomiendas.[3]His efforts influenced thepapal bullSublimis Deusof 1537 which established the status of the Indigenous people as rational beings. More significantly, Las Casas was instrumental in the passage of theNew Laws(theLaws of the Indies) of 1542, which were designed to end the encomienda system.[4]
Moved by Las Casas and others, in 1550 theking of SpainCharles Iordered further military expansion to cease until the issue was investigated.[4][5]The king assembled aJunta(Jury) of eminent doctors and theologians to hear both sides and to issue a ruling on the controversy.[1]Las Casas represented one side of the debate. His position found some support from the monarchy, which wanted to control the power of the encomienderos. Representing the other side wasJuan Ginés de Sepúlveda,whose arguments were used as support by colonists and landowners who benefited from the system.[6][4]
Debate
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Though Las Casas tried to bolster his position by recounting his experiences with the encomienda system's mistreatment of the Indigenous people, the debate remained on largely theoretical grounds. Sepúlveda took a more secular approach than Las Casas, basing his arguments largely onAristotleand theHumanisttradition to assert that some Indigenous people were subject to enslavement due to their inability to govern themselves, and could be subdued by war if necessary.[1]Las Casas objected, arguing that Aristotle's definition of the barbarian and natural slave did not apply to Indigenous peoples, all of whom were fully capable of reason and should be brought to Christianity without force or coercion.[4]
Sepúlveda put forward many of the arguments from his Latin dialogueDemocrates Alter Sive de Justi Belli Causis,[7]to assert that what he saw as the barbaric traditions of certain Indigenous peoples justified waging war against them. Civilized peoples, according to Sepúlveda, were obliged to punish such vicious practices as idolatry, sodomy, andcannibalism.Wars had to be waged "in order to uproot crimes that offend nature".[8]
Sepúlveda issued four main justifications for just war against certain Indigenous peoples. First, that their natural condition deemed them unable to rule themselves, and it was the responsibility of the Spaniards to act as masters. Second, that Spaniards were entitled to prevent cannibalism as a crime against nature. Third, that the same went for human sacrifice. Fourth, that it was important to convert Indigenous people to Christianity.[9]
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Las Casas was prepared for part of his opponent's discourse, since he, upon hearing about the existence of Sepúlveda'sDemocrates Alter,had written in the late 1540s his own Latin work, theApologia,which aimed at debunking his opponent's theological arguments by arguing that Aristotle's definition of the "barbarian" and the natural slave did not apply to Indigenous people, who were fully capable of reason and should be brought to Christianity without force.[10][11]
Las Casas pointed out that every individual was obliged by international law to prevent the innocent from being treated unjustly. He also citedSaint AugustineandSaint John Chrysostom,both of whom had opposed the use of force to bring others to Christian faith. Human sacrifice was wrong, but it would be better to avoid war by any means possible.[12]
The arguments presented by Las Casas and Sepúlveda to the junta of Valladolid remained abstract, with both sides clinging to their opposite theories that relied on similar, if not the same, theoretical authorities, which were interpreted to suit their respective arguments.[13]
Aftermath
[edit]At the conclusion of the debates, the judges argued amongst themselves and then scattered without any definite decision. For several years theCouncil of the Indiespressed the participants to issue an opinion. Apparently, most of the judges wrote their own statements, but these have never been recovered, with the exception of one by the Doctor Anaya, who approved of the conquests in order to spread Christianity and stop certain Indigenous activities viewed as sinful, but added the caveat that the conquests must be undertaken "for the good of the Indians and not for gold." Thejuntanever issued a collective decision.[14]
In the end, while both parties declared that they had won the debate, neither received the outcome they desired.Las Casasdid not see the end to Spanish wars of conquest in the New World, and Sepúlveda did not see theNew Laws' restrictions on the power of theencomiendasystem overturned. The debate cemented Las Casas's position as the lead defender of the Indigenous peoples in the Spanish Empire,[3]and further weakened the encomienda system. However, it did not substantially alter Spanish treatment of the Indigenous people in its developing colonies.[4]
Both Sepúlveda and Las Casas maintained their positions long after the end of the debate, but their arguments became less significant when the Spanish presence in theNew Worldbecame permanent.[15]
Sepúlveda's arguments contributed to the policy of "war by fire and blood" that theThird Mexican Provincial Councilimplemented in 1585 during theChichimeca War.[16]According toLewis Hanke,while Sepúlveda became the hero of theconquistadors,his success was short-lived, and his works were never published inSpainagain during his lifetime.[17]
Las Casas's ideas had a more lasting impact on the decisions of the king,Philip II,as well as on history andhuman rights.[18]Las Casas's criticism of the encomienda system contributed to its replacement withreducciones.[19]His testimonies on the peaceful nature of theIndigenous peoples of the Americasalso encouraged nonviolent policies concerning the religious conversions of the Indigenous peoples inNew SpainandPeru.It also helped convince moremissionariesto come to the Americas to study the indigenous people, such asBernardino de Sahagún,who learned the native languages to discover more about their cultures and civilizations.[20]
Ultimately, however, the impact of Las Casas's doctrine was also limited. In 1550, the king had ordered that the conquest should cease, because the Valladolid debate was to decide whether the war was just or not. But the government's orders were hardly respected: conquistadors such asPedro de Valdiviawent on to wage war inChileduring the first half of the 1550s. Expanding Spanish territory in the New World was allowed again in May 1556, and a decade later, Spain began its conquest of thePhilippines.[18]
Modern reception
[edit]In recent years, the Valladolid debate has been noted for its role (albeit marginal) in the conception of international politics in the sixteenth-century.[21]Las Casas's ethical arguments offer a reflection on the question ofjurisdiction,asking whether law can be applied internationally, especially in so-called 'rogue states'.[22]
The debate also holds a place in contemporaryjust war theory,as scholars aim to expandjus ad bellumwithinwar studies.[22]
Reflection in art
[edit]In 1938 the story of the German writerReinhold SchneiderLas Casas and Charles V(Las Casas vor Karl V. ) was published.
In 1992 the Valladolid debate became an inspiration source forJean-Claude Carrièrewho published the novelLa Controverse de Valladolid(Dispute in Valladolid). The novel was filmed in French for television under the same name.[23]The director was Jean-Danielle Veren, withJean-Pierre Marielleplaying Las Casas andJean-Louis Trintignantacting as Sepúlveda.
Carrière's work was later was staged as a play in 1999 at theTheatre de l'Atelierin Paris.[24]It was later translated into English, and performed atThe Public Theaterin New York City in 2005,[1]and inSpokane, Washingtonin 2019.[25]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^abcCrow, John A.The Epic of Latin America,4th ed. University of California Press, Berkeley: 1992.
- ^Ginés de Sepúlveda, Juan (trans. Marcelino Menendez y Pelayo and Manuel Garcia-Pelayo) (1941).Tratado sobre las Justas Causas de la Guerra contra los Indios.Mexico D.F.: Fondo de Cultura Económica. p. 155.
- ^abcRaup Wagner, Henry & Rand Parish, Helen (1967).The Life and Writings of Bartolomé de Las Casas.New Mexico: The University of New Mexico Press. pp. 181–182.
- ^abcdefgHernandez, Bonar Ludwig."The Las Casas-Sepúlveda Controversy: 1550-1551".Ex Post Facto.10.San Francisco State University:95–104.RetrievedApril 13,2021.
- ^Hanke, Lewis (1974).All Mankind is One: A study of the Disputation Between Bartolomé de Las Casas and Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda in 1550 on the Intellectual and Religious Capacity of the American Indian.Illinois: Northern Illinois University Press. p. 67.
- ^Glanville, Luke; Lupher, David; Tomes, Maya Feile (2023).Sepúlveda on the Spanish Invasion of the Americas: Defending Empire, Debating Las Casas.Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-886382-3.
- ^Anthony Padgen:The Fall of Natural Man: The American Indian and the Origins of Comparative Ethnology,page 109. Cambridge University Press, 1982.
- ^Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda:Tratado sobre las Justas Causas de la Guerra contra los Indios,Fondo de Cultura Económica, 1941.
- ^Losada, Angel (1971).Bartolome de las Casas in History: Toward an Understanding of the Man and His Work.The Northern Illinois University Press. pp. 284–289.
- ^Angel Losada:The Controversy between Sepúlveda and Las Casas in the Junta of Valladolid,pages 280-282. The Northern Illinois University Press, 1971.
- ^Silvio Zavala:Aspectos Formales de la Controversia entre Sepúlveda y Las Casas en Valladolid, a mediados del siglo XVI y observaciones sobre la apologia de Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas,pages 137-162. Cuadernos Americanos 212, 1977.
- ^Bartolomé de Las Casas,In Defense,pages 212-215
- ^Brading, D.A.:The First America: the Spanish Monarchy, Creole Patriots, and the Liberal State 1492-1867,pages 80-88. Cambridge University Press, 1991.
- ^Hanke 1949,pp. 128–129.
- ^Hernandez, 2015, p. 10
- ^Poole, 1965, p. 115
- ^Hanke, 1949, p. 129
- ^abMinahane, 2014
- ^Minahane 2014
- ^Hernandez, 2015, p. 9
- ^Behr, H. (2010).A History of International Political Theory.Palgrave Macmillan.
- ^abBrunstetter, D. R.; Zartner, D. (2011). "Just War against Barbarians: Revisiting the Valladolid Debate between Sepulveda and Las Casas".Political Studies.59(3): 733–752.doi:10.1111/j.1467-9248.2010.00857.x.S2CID145672459.
- ^La Controverse de Valladolid (1992),retrieved2024-03-22
- ^Desk, BWW News."Jean-Claude Carrière's THE CONTROVERSY OF VALLADOLID Begins Previews February 8th".BroadwayWorld.com.Retrieved2024-03-22.
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has generic name (help) - ^"History repeats itself in Stage Left's 'Controversy of Valladolid' | The Spokesman-Review".Spokesman.com.Retrieved8 April2022.
References
[edit]- Byun, Chang-Uk."The Valladolid Debate between Las Casas and Sepúlveda of 1550"(PDF).Korea Presbyterian Journal of Theology.42:257–276.
- Castilla Urbano, Francisco."Chapter 9 The Debate of Valladolid (1550–1551)".A Companion to Early Modern Spanish Imperial Political and Social Thought.Brill.doi:10.1163/9789004421882_011.S2CID219139505.
- Comas, Juan (1971). "Historical Reality and the Detractors of Father Las Casas". In Friede, Juan; Keen, Benjamin (eds.).Bartolomé de las Casas in history: toward an understanding of the man and his work.Internet Archive. DeKalb: Northern Illinois University Press.ISBN978-0-87580-025-7.
- Crow, John A. (1992).The Epic of Latin America,4th ed. University of California Press, Berkeley
- Hanke, Lewis (1949).The Spanish Struggle for Justice in the Conquest of America.University of Pennsylvania Press.
- Hernandez, Bonar Ludwig (2001)."The Las Casas-Sepúlveda Controversy: 1550-1551".Ex Post Facto.10.San Francisco State University: 95–105.
- Losada, Ángel (1971)."Controversy between Sepúlveda and Las Casas".In Juan Friede; Benjamin Keen (eds.).Bartolomé de las Casas in History: Toward an Understanding of the Man and his Work.Collection spéciale: CER. DeKalb:Northern Illinois University Press.pp.279–309.ISBN0-87580-025-4.OCLC421424974.
- Minahane, J. (2014)” The controversy at Valladolid, 1550- 1551”.Church and State.Nu.116.Valladolid index
- Poole, S. (1965). "War by Fire and Blood" the Church and the Chichimecas 1585.The Americas,22(2), 115-137. doi:10.2307/979237
French
- Benoit, Jean Louis. (2013) “L’évangélisation des Indiens d’Amérique Autour de la « légende noire »”,Amerika [Online],8 | 2013.L’évangélisation des Indiens d’Amérique
- Casas, B., & Llorente, J. (1822).Oeuvres de don barthélemi de las casas, évêque de chiapa, défenseur de la liberté des naturels de l'amérique: Précédées de sa vie, et accompagnées de notes historiques, additions, développemens, etc., etc., avec portrait.Paris etc.: Alexis Eymery etc.
External links
[edit]- 1550 in Spain
- 1550s in the Spanish Empire
- Disputations
- Encomenderos
- History of European colonialism
- History of the Americas
- History of indigenous peoples of the Americas
- Spanish colonization of the Americas
- Theological controversies
- Valladolid
- 1550s in New Spain
- 1550s in the Viceroyalty of Peru
- 16th century in Spain
- 16th century in North America
- 16th century in the Caribbean
- 16th century in South America
- 16th century in the Spanish West Indies
- 16th century in the Spanish Empire