Alonso de Sandoval S.J. (1576/1577-1652) and the ideology of black slavery: some theological and philosophical arguments
Abstract
One of the most significant works on black slavery written by a Catholic thinker in the 17th century was De instauranda aethiopum salute (1627) by Alonso de Sandoval S.J. (1576/1577-1652), which describes the trade of African slaves to South America (especially to Cartagena de Indias) and offers several different clues to understanding the emergence of an “ideology” of black slavery that, within the Roman Catholic Church and the Catholic world, justified the enslavement of blacks. At the same time, Alonso de Sandoval attempted to establish the ethical criteria for the slave trade and in particular for the relations between masters and slaves in the daily life of the South American colonies. In this study we explore Books I and II of De instauranda aethiopum salute, focusing first on the theological and biblical foundations invoked to justify black slavery. Secondly, the focus rests on the justification of the conditions of slavery of Africans and of the slave trade as such, and thirdly, we address the moral standards proposed by Sandoval for the just relationship between masters and slaves. We also make an attempt to highlight Sandoval's notorious contempt for black skin and culture that supported an ideology of such subjection.Downloads
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