Abstract

PICH, Roberto Hofmeister. Probabilism and Black Slavery. Humanidades (Montevideo. En línea) [online]. 2020, n.8, pp.17-67.  Epub Dec 01, 2020. ISSN 1510-5024.  https://doi.org/10.25185/8.2.

Little is known yet about the normative discussions on black slavery that were had by scholastic thinkers from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. In this article, we connect the writings of Diego de Avendaño S.J. (1594-1688) to the conceptual history of the slavery of black people. We highlight in particular the connection that Avendaño promotes between the legitimacy of the slave trade, slave ownership and probabilism. This new perspective is acknowledged and criticized by Francisco José de Jaca O.F.M. Cap. (c. 1645-1689) and Epifanio de Moirans O.F.M. Cap. (1644-1689). The main purpose of the present essay is to describe and interpret the reactions of these two authors to Avendaño’s discussion. Their anti-slavery works provide views on slavery in theius gentium, freedom as a good and a right, and the insufficiency of moral probabilism as a doctrine when applied to the problem of the slavery of Africans.

Keywords : Black Slavery; Conscience; Probabilism; Diego de Avendaño; Francisco José de Jaca; Epifanio de Moirans..

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