Valladolid debate
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The Valladolid Debate (1550 to 1551) was a debate concerning the existence of souls in the natives of the so-called New World. It opposed two main attitudes towards the Conquests of the New Worlds. Dominican friar of Chiapas Bartolomé de Las Casas upheld the humanity of the Amerindians against Jesuit Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda, who claimed that since the Amerindians didn't have any "souls", they could be reduced to slavery.
With the realization of the truth that the Americas represented regions of the Earth with which the Europeans were not aware of earlier, there arose intense speculation over the question whether the natives of these lands were true humans or not. Together with that went a debate over the (mis)treatment of these natives by the Conquistadores and colonists.
A substantial party believed that these new found peoples were not truly human. This party speculated that since Christendom was not permitted by God to become aware of their existence and thus bring the Gospel to them until so late, it was only because they were not human or possessed no souls, so they could not attain salvation.
The opposing party, influenced by the School of Salamanca and Humanist movements, insisted that even unknown human people were nevertheless fully as human as the Europeans themselves, possessed souls and were capable of attaining salvation; lastly, as true humans and who had not committed any aggression or provocation to justify punishment, they retained the right to remain free men and not be enslaved or reduced to serfdom.
Moved by doubts, the King of Spain Charles V ordered that further aggressions against the natives should cease and called a Junta (Jury) of eminent doctors and theologians to hear both sides and to issue a ruling on the controversy.
The opposing parties were represented by Bartolomé de Las Casas who upheld the humanity of the Amerindians and insisted on their being treated as free men in the natural order, according to Catholic theology, while another Catholic theologian, Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda, represented the other party, affirming that the reduction of the Amerindians to slavery and serfdom was just and in accordance with Catholic theology.
The junta ruled in favor of Las Casas' position. Although implementing this position was strenuously opposed and to a large extent sabotaged by the colonists, it also became the official position of both the King of Spain and of the Catholic Church.[citation needed]
