Curriculum Guide · Courses

Professor Ladislas Orsy

J.D. Seminar 723 (cross-listed) | 2 credit hours

The seminar consists in readings in, and discussions of, two texts in the political writings of Francisco de Vitoria (1485-1546), Professor at Salamanca, Spain, “On the American Indians” and “On the Law of [Peace] and War.” He vindicated universal human rights, defended the equal sovereignty of the nations small and large, and advocated free migration and commerce among the citizens of different countries. He proposed the idea of a “united nations” based on mutual agreements, and suggested stringent rules for reducing hostilities. He was in favor of religious freedom and the separation of secular power from any religious authority. His pioneering ideas remain as valid today as they were five hundred years ago; and the need to put them into practice in many parts of the world still exists. Textbook: “Political Writings” by Francisco de Vitoria, translated from the original Latin and Spanish, Cambridge University Press, 2008.