Valladolid Debate — Las Casas vs. Sepúlveda
In 1550–1551 Charles I ordered a great debate at Valladolid between the humanist theologian Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda—who argued that indigenous people were 'natural slaves' in the Aristotelian sense and could legitimately be conquered—and Bartolomé de las Casas, who insisted that indigenous people had reason, souls, and rights equal to Europeans. The debate produced no definitive ruling and did not halt the conquest, but it established the philosophical framework for all subsequent European discussions of colonialism, the rights of non-European peoples, and the legitimacy of empire. Las Casas's arguments influenced international law and the later development of human rights theory.
- Year: 1550 CE
- Category: Cultural
