Barbaric Quote by Juan Gines de Sepulveda
“In Spain in the meantime, Aristotelian scholar Juan Gines de Sepulveda was putting the impolitic moralizing of Las Casas into proper perspective for posterity: "Compare then the blessings enjoyed by Spaniards of prudence, genius, magnanimity, temperance, humanity, and religion with those of the little men [the Indians] in whom you will scarcely find even vestiges of humanity. . . . How can we doubt that these people - so uncivilized, so barbaric, contaminated with so many impieties and obscenities - have been justly conquered?"”
About This Quote
Source Treatise: "A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies", 1550, colonial justification
Colonial justification dehumanizes natives, framing conquest as moral duty
In simple terms: Dehumanizing language rationalizes oppression
Key Takeaway
Recognize and challenge dehumanizing rhetoric
Themes
colonialism
racism
human rights
historical analysis
Mood
critical
somber
educational
Type
Barbaric:0
Blessing:0
Compare:0
Doubt:0
Enjoyed:0
Genius:0
Has beens:0
Humanity:0
Juan:0
Little man:0
Littles:0
Magnanimity:0
Men:0
Moralizing:0
Obscenity:0
People:0
Perspective:0
Posterity:0
Prudence:0
Scholar:0
Spain:0
Spaniards:0
Temperance:0
Uncivilized:0
Spaniards Prudence:0
Gines Sepulveda:0
Spain Meantime:0
Scholar Juan:0
Meantime Aristotelian:0
When to use this quote
- education
- policy reform
- historical research
Key Concepts
just war theory
anthropology
ethical criticism
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we reframe historical accounts to include oppressed voices?
- What responsibilities do scholars have in correcting biased histories?
A Different Perspective
Historical narratives often ignore victims' humanity
