Sepulveda on the Spanish Invasion of the Americas
Defending Empire, Debating Las Casas
Oxford University Press
Published on 17. March 2023
Book
Hardback
448 pages
978-0-19-886382-3 (ISBN)
Description
This volume presents the first full English translation of four key texts from the dispute between Juan Gines de Sepulveda and Bartolome de las Casas regarding the justice of Spain's invasion of the Americas, culminating in their famous debate in Valladolid in 1550-51.
An impassioned defence of the invasion, Sepulveda's Democrates secundus (composed around 1544) amplified the controversy within Spain about the justice of its activities in the Americas. When Las Casas schemed to block publication of Sepulveda's manuscript, Sepulveda wrote an Apologia (1550) in its defence. Tensions were so high that Emperor Charles V called a temporary halt to undertakings in the Americas and convoked a meeting of theologians and jurists in Valladolid to address the matter. Here, Sepulveda and Las Casas debated bitterly. Las Casas subsequently printed a composite record of the Valladolid deliberations (Aqui se contiene una disputa o controversia, 1552). Sepulveda retaliated by penning a furious response (Proposiciones temerarias y de mala doctrina, around 1553-54) and strove to have Las Casas' text banned by the Inquisition.
The debate between Sepulveda and Las Casas was a pivotal moment in the history of international legal thought. They argued over fundamental matters of empire and colonial rule; natural law and cultural difference; the jurisdiction of the Church, responsibilities of Christian rulers, and rights of infidel peoples; the just reasons for war and grounds for resistance; and the right to punish idolatry, protect innocents from tyranny, and subjugate unbelievers for the purpose of spreading the Christian faith.
With a detailed scholarly introduction that elucidates the complex story of these four controversial texts and reflects on the impacts of Sepulveda's ideas, which continue to be felt in the theories and practices of war today, this book is a must-read for all those interested in the fields of history, political science, international relations, and colonial studies.
An impassioned defence of the invasion, Sepulveda's Democrates secundus (composed around 1544) amplified the controversy within Spain about the justice of its activities in the Americas. When Las Casas schemed to block publication of Sepulveda's manuscript, Sepulveda wrote an Apologia (1550) in its defence. Tensions were so high that Emperor Charles V called a temporary halt to undertakings in the Americas and convoked a meeting of theologians and jurists in Valladolid to address the matter. Here, Sepulveda and Las Casas debated bitterly. Las Casas subsequently printed a composite record of the Valladolid deliberations (Aqui se contiene una disputa o controversia, 1552). Sepulveda retaliated by penning a furious response (Proposiciones temerarias y de mala doctrina, around 1553-54) and strove to have Las Casas' text banned by the Inquisition.
The debate between Sepulveda and Las Casas was a pivotal moment in the history of international legal thought. They argued over fundamental matters of empire and colonial rule; natural law and cultural difference; the jurisdiction of the Church, responsibilities of Christian rulers, and rights of infidel peoples; the just reasons for war and grounds for resistance; and the right to punish idolatry, protect innocents from tyranny, and subjugate unbelievers for the purpose of spreading the Christian faith.
With a detailed scholarly introduction that elucidates the complex story of these four controversial texts and reflects on the impacts of Sepulveda's ideas, which continue to be felt in the theories and practices of war today, this book is a must-read for all those interested in the fields of history, political science, international relations, and colonial studies.
Reviews / Votes
Nationalist historians still have the upper hand in the interpretation of this event, almost invariably and misleadingly described as a "debate"... Sepulveda on the Spanish Invasion of the Americas: Defending empire, debating Las Casas is a long-overdue and thoroughly welcome corrective to this widespread opinion. * Fernando Cervantes, The Times Literary Supplement * This volume is a tremendous and surprising achievement. With editing and translating from three exceptional scholars across different continents during the pandemic, it satisfies experts and introduces newcomers to an interminable conflict of sixteenth century Spain over its "Affair of the Indies". * David Lantigua, Hispanic American Historical Review *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 28 mm
Weight
828 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-886382-3 (9780198863823)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Luke Glanville | David Lupher | Maya Feile Tomes
Sepúlveda on the Spanish Invasion of the Americas
Defending Empire, Debating Las Casas
E-Book
03/2023
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€84.99
Available for download
Luke Glanville | David Lupher | Maya Feile Tomes
Sepúlveda on the Spanish Invasion of the Americas
Defending Empire, Debating Las Casas
E-Book
02/2023
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€84.99
Available for download
Persons
Luke Glanville is Associate Professor of International Relations at the Australian National University. His research spans past and present thought and practice regarding international protection against atrocities, refugee exclusion, and colonial conquest, and he has most recently authored Sharing Responsibility: The History and Future of Protection from Atrocities.
David Lupher is Professor of Classics, Emeritus, at the University of Puget Sound. His main area of research is classical receptions in early modern colonial America. He is the author of books including Romans in a New World: Classical Models in Sixteenth-Century Spanish America (2003), as well as a translation of Alberico Gentili's Wars of the Romans (2011).
Maya Feile Tomes is Lorna Close Lecturer in Spanish at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, Bye-Fellow in Modern Languages at Peterhouse, and Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of Classics, Cambridge. She has most recently co-edited Brill's Companion to Classics in the Early Americas (2021). This is her second book.
David Lupher is Professor of Classics, Emeritus, at the University of Puget Sound. His main area of research is classical receptions in early modern colonial America. He is the author of books including Romans in a New World: Classical Models in Sixteenth-Century Spanish America (2003), as well as a translation of Alberico Gentili's Wars of the Romans (2011).
Maya Feile Tomes is Lorna Close Lecturer in Spanish at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, Bye-Fellow in Modern Languages at Peterhouse, and Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of Classics, Cambridge. She has most recently co-edited Brill's Companion to Classics in the Early Americas (2021). This is her second book.
Content
Nationalist historians still have the upper hand in the interpretation of this event, almost invariably and misleadingly described as a "debate"... Sepulveda on the Spanish Invasion of the Americas: Defending empire, debating Las Casas is a long-overdue and thoroughly welcome corrective to this widespread opinion.16/02/2024: