the defense of the indians la casas

Were the pre-Columbian Indians in the “New World” human beings according to Sepulveda? In Sepulveda’s text Prologue to the Members of the Congregation he sometimes describes the Indians and lower human beings and at other times there is textual evidence he identifies them as non-human animals. You must cite 3 different pieces of textual evidence in support of the interpretation that Sepulveda believed the Indians were non-human beings in the sense that they were like animals (i.e. horses, cattle, etc.). Make sure you do not simply cite from the text but also briefly explain and draw out the implications of the relatively short quotes you choose. You must also answer the questions below:

2. In Defense of the Indians Bartolomé de las Casas offers an argument against Sepulveda’s view of the Indians. What premises does Las Casas offer to support the conclusion that the Indians are human beings?

3. Are the Indians barbarians according to Bartolomé de las Casas?

4. Identify 3 assumptions both Sepulveda and Bartolomé de las Casas share in their overall positions?

5. How do Sepulveda and Las Casas know what they claim to know? In other words, what are Sepulveda and Bartolomé de las Casas methodologies for answering the question about the status of pre-Columbian Indians? Give 1 feature their methodologies share.