THE CONCEPT OF “NATURAL SLAVERY” IN MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY

Abstract

This paper deals with the concept of natural slavery in medieval thought. This concept, that was developed mainly by Aristotle in chapter I of Politics, was taken up by thinkers such as St. Augustine, Thomas Aquino, Tolomeo di Luca and John Major. Most rejected this thought and when they accepted it, they understood by “natural” something different from Aristotle. What these thinkers wrote on this concept and how they received it from Ancient Greece is the theme of this research. We will end up referencing, albeit briefly, on how the concept of “natural slavery” was widely used in attempts to theoretically justify the conquest of America in the 16th century. The Dominicans John Major and Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda deserve special mention in this regard.