Las Casas

Bartolome de Las Casas
In Defence of The Indians

Notes on Reading

I devoured this book in one long many hour sitting. I read this as an eloquent, elaborate and evidently politically necessary Code of Ethics.

29 “that just as the man who obeys right reason and excellent laws is superior to all the animals, so too, if he leaves the path of right reason and law, he is the wickedest, worst and most inhuman of all animals.”

35 “and we must hold that nature makes more perfect in no other way than by his intellect, by which he most specially stands above the other animals.”

37 “Rational nature, after the angelic, is nobler and more perfect than all other created things, and thus is the best and noblest part of the whole universe, to the extent that it has a greater resemblance to God.”

55. “unbelievers who have never embraced the faith of Christ and who are not Christian subjects cannot be punished by Christians, or even by the Church, for anyh crime at all, no matter how atrocious it may be.”

58. Christ and Power
- “(he can subdue the whole universe)- he implies potency only, not act”
-in Christ therefore, is a two fold power: actual and habitual (or potential)”

63 “the Church cannot judge unbelievers who have never accepted the Christian faith”

69”To teach is Christian, to compel is tyrannical.”

72 “Chris did not give the Church power over the pagans to annoy, persecute, afflict, and arouse them to riot and sedition, and to hatred of the Christian religion, but (only the power) of gentleness, service, kindness, and the words of the gospel to encourage them to put on the gentle yoke of Christ.”

75 “it is naturally impossible for men to live without either the true God or a false God”

93 Inclusion
“and so the gospel must be preached to all nations without distinction, in a brotherly and friendly manner, along with offering the forgiveness of sins.”

189 “a good act occurs in only one way, while evil occurs in many ways”

191 “when we are confronted by two choices that are evil both as to moral guilt and punishment and we cannot avoid both of them, we ought to choose the lesser evil”
200 “this argument – that once a city has been condemned in a just war, all its inhabitants are presumed to be enemies—is false

210 “exercise the patience of the good”
“many people seem evil but lack evil intentions”

248 “to sum up, rulers and governors, who have the duty of protecting the public welfare, cannot in any way permit war to be waged against the Indians without being responsible for all its evil consequences, even if crimes of this sort can be prevented in no other way. The public interest must be preferred to the private.”