As a part of Las Casas's defense by offense, he had to argue against Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda. Sepúlveda was a doctor of theology and law who, in his book Democrates Alter, sive de justis causis apud Indos (Another Democrates, or A New Democrates, or on the Just Causes of War against the Indians) had argued that some native peoples were incapable of ruling themselves and should be pacified forcefully. The book was deemed unsound for publication by the theologians of Salamanca and Alcalá for containing unsound doctrine, but the pro-encomendero faction seized on Sepúlveda as their intellectual champion.
as a part of las casas's defense by offense he had to argue against juan ginés de sepúlveda sepúlveda was a doctor of theology and law who in his book democrates alter sive de justis causis apud indos (another democrates or a new democrates or on the just causes of war against the indians) had argued that some native peoples were incapable of ruling themselves and should be pacified forcefully the book was deemed unsound for publication by the theologians of salamanca and alcalá for containing unsound doctrine but the pro-encomendero faction seized on sepúlveda as their intellectual champion