Las Casas and Supulveda
The debate of Bartolome de Las Casas and Juan Gines de Supulveda sparked controversy in the New World. As the European powers traveled deeper into "unclaimed" territories, tension with the native populations immediately followed. While reactions from European powers varied to some degree, most used aggressive and authoritarian measures when interacting with native cultures. Two authors, Supulveda and de Las Casas argued about which reaction(s) were most appropriate. Read the following essay written by Ruth McMullen.
Then, think about the following questions...
a) Which approach do you think would have been the most practiced/accepted approach for the European colonists?
b) Which writer better identified the intellectual/philosophical currents of Europe of the 1500's
c) How is the impact of these two writers evidenced in the practices of the early European colonists?
Leave your comments, feel free to comment on issues or questions outside of these three.
Then, think about the following questions...
a) Which approach do you think would have been the most practiced/accepted approach for the European colonists?
b) Which writer better identified the intellectual/philosophical currents of Europe of the 1500's
c) How is the impact of these two writers evidenced in the practices of the early European colonists?
Leave your comments, feel free to comment on issues or questions outside of these three.
a) I think Juan Gines de Sepulveda approach would have been the most practiced/accepted approach for the European colonists. It's obvious they agreed with it because thats the approach they used, most Europeans believed these native people were lesser humans.
ReplyDeleteb) Sepulveda is the writer that better identifies with the intellectual/philosophical currents of Europe. Most Europeans believed they were the superior human and they could do what anything they wanted.
c) The impact of these writers is pretty obvious. Practices of early European colonists favored Sepulveda's ideals. They treated the native people like inferior human beings, some Europeans treated the native people with respect. But most believed it was easier to enslave and control the native population.
a) I think Juan Gines de Sepulveda approach to the situation would have been the most practiced/accepted approach for the European colonists to use. The Europeans actually used this system so that means they accepted the approach. Most european colonists believed native people to be lesser humans which Juan Gines de Sepulveda believed.
ReplyDeleteb) Sepulveda better identified the intellectual/philosophical currents of Europe. The majority of Europeans believed they were the superior humans compared to that of the natives and could do whatever they wanted.
c) The impact of both writers are evidenced, some early european colonists practiced Sepulveda's approach to dealing with natives by enslaving them and using them for labor. Other early colonists used Bartolome de Las Casas approach to the situation by trading and maintaining a healthy relationship with the natives.
ReplyDeletea. Sepulveda’s approach was the more popular of the two. Las Casas’ approach would have been the better, more humane way. Sepulveda’s way treated Amerindians like wild animals that needed force to convert to Christianity. He felt they were barbaric but if they really were they wouldn’t be smart enough to believe in religion; the whole thing would’ve been a waste of time for him and just an excuse to abuse people.
b. Sepulveda was the writer who better identified the intellectual/ philosophical currents of Europe of the 1500’s. During that time, most Europeans felt they were better than the other darker people. If it had been during the humanistic time, Las Casas would be considered more intellectual since he took account of the individual people as humans and not just slaves.
c. The impact of these writers are evidenced in the practices of the early European colonists by the success they had of taking over. To take over the American land European colonist had to use the approach of Sepulveda (enslaving) so they were the most in power but also Las Casas (viewing them as actual people) so they could make mixed babies and coexist.
Gabie Kreutzjans
ReplyDeleteA) The most practiced approach at the time would have been Sepulveda's. At the time, in this brand new world with people, practices, and religions they weren't used to, the practices by Sepulveda would have been the ideal way to "handle" those people. However now we know that Sepulveda's practices were barbaric, it was a different time and whatever people weren't used to, they treated as if they weren't humans at all.
B)The writer whom would have better identified the intellectual/ philosophical currents of Europe in the 1500's would have been Sepulveda. He would have been thought of as the writer who idealized the thoughts of the people at the time. The idea that anyone different was bad.
C)These writers impacted early european colonists in the practices that continued at the time. The thoughts and ideas that spread through people's heads is what is going to remain a constant in coming years.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete