Anth G222: Aztecs and Spaniards

Prof. Zeitlin

Fall 2002

Fourth paper assignment: The "Just War" Debate of 1550-51

FIRST DRAFT DUE TUESDAY, NOV.5

In justifying the Spanish conquest of the Americas and domination of its native populations, Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda presented the following four reasons (see Hanke 1965:121):

1.	That the Indians had committed grave sins against God and nature, among which their idolatrous worship of pagan gods, their practice of human sacrifice, and the eating of human flesh were the worst examples.

2.	That the Indians has such rude natures and limited intellectual capacity that, following Aristotle's doctrine of natural slavery, they were obliged to serve people like the Spaniards who were of superior natural ability.

3.	That the imposition of Spanish law and political authority was necessary to protect the weak among the Indians against the tyranny of the false kings who ruled and oppressed them.

4.	That conquest was necessary to spread the Christian faith because missionary activity would best be supported among a subjugated population.

The first three of these propositions are based on superficial understandings of Aztec society that we have been challenging with a more serious consideration of the nature of Aztec sociopolitical organization, cultural accomplishments, and belief systems. Using Clendinnen's book as your primary source, take the number (1-3) that you have drawn in class and write a 2-3 page argument against the corresponding proposition of Sepúlveda. State your argument clearly in your introductory paragraph. Use the body of the paper to expand on the major points of the argument, drawing upon evidence or analyses presented in Clendinnen and in class (with proper citation, of course), and summarize your argument well.

After the first draft has been graded and commented upon, you should begin work on a serious revision of the paper, which is due on Thursday, Nov. 21. The final grade for this paper assignment will be an average of the grades for each draft.