Francisco de Vitoria

In reading Francisco de Vitoria for Tuesday's Jurisprudence class, I discovered some very interesting Christian arguments for free/fair trade and also in favor of open immigration.

In discussing the problems and purported justifications of Spanish conquest in America, Vitoria sets forth certain arguments that are both in favor of and against the Spanish position.  In this example, Vitoria presents an insightful argument for fair trade practices.

 

Here is the argument that appears to support fair trade:

1. The Spaniards may lawfully trade among the barbarians, so long as they do no harm to their homeland.

a. the law of nations is clearly that travellers may carry on trade so long as they do no harm to the citizens

b. in the same way it can be proved that this is lawful in divine law

i. Therefore, any human enactment which prohibited such trade would indubitably be     unreasonable.

c. Their [the native american's] princes are obliged by natural law to love the Spaniards [and all humans] and therefore cannot prohibit them without due cause from furthering their own interests, so long as this can be done without harm to the barbarians.

d. To [prohibit this] would appear to fly in the face of the old proverb "do as you would be done by."

Since "nature has decreed a certain kinship between all men," trade between humanity should be fair and free.

To give credit where credit is due, see Francisco de Vitoria, The American Indians, in From Iranaeus to Grotius: A Sourcebook in Christian Political Thought 627 (Oliver & Joan Lockwood O'Donovan, eds. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publ'g Co. 1999).

For more info on fair trade, look here, or here.