Aristotle

Aristotle and the American Indians

Cost
285.00

This course was available in the past and may be presented again as part of the Open Enrollment curriculum.

During the conquest of the New World, the interpretation of Aristotle played a role in the debate the Spanish held about how to treat the natives. Both sides cited Aristotle's doctrine of "natural slavery". Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda argued that the natives were barbarians and natural slaves suitable for conquest. Bartolomé de Las Casas accused Sepulveda of misinterpreting Aristotle. To the contrary, Las Casas argues, many of the communities in the New World were fully political in Aristotle's sense, governing themselves by reasoned discussion and consent of the governed. In this class, we will first review the relevant passages of Aristotle, then read Las Casas's argument against Sepulveda in In Defense of the Indians. (The title of the course reproduces a book on this topic by Lewis Hanke, who introduced Las Casas to Anglophone readers.)

Notes

Online registration closes August 31 at 5:00 pm CT.