TOMÁS DE AQUINO E A INFIDELIDADE NA APOLOGIA DE LAS CASAS (c. 6-27)

In this article, I will seek to study how Bartolomé de Las Casas (1484-1566) uses some doctrines of Thomas Aquinas in a part of his work Defense. This work was written by Las Casas in order to refute four arguments that a contemporary of his, called Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda, proposed to defend that the wars of the Spanish against the Indians were just. I intend to examine how Las Casas uses the doctrine of Thomas Aquinas about unbelief in general in treating of the second argument of Sepúlveda, that affirms that such wars are just, because the Indians commit the crimes of idolatry and against the natural law. I will make an exposition of the pertinent texts of the Summa of Theology of Thomas Aquinas and of the Defense of Las Casas. I will conclude by saying that Las Casas knows well not only the Summa of Theology, but many other sources, and his interpretation of Thomas is viable, although it is not the only one possible.