Francisco de Vitoria y el fundamento del dominium

We explore the foundation provided by Vitoria to the domi¬nium rerum, that is, the capacity of man to be master of things. First, the paper succinctly exposes Vitoria’s conception of theology as a knowl¬edge that can and should deal with temporal matters. Then, it studies the theme of dominium in his commentary on the treatise De restitutione of the Summa theologiae by Thomas Aquinas. Finally, it examines how Vitoria deals with the human capacity for dominium in his relectio De indis, where he argues that the American Indians are capable of governing themselves and owning property. Vitoria develops the thought of Aquinas by applying it to new problems. According to Vitoria, the foundation of dominium over things is found in the mastery over oneself, which is based, in turn, on human nature. Consequently, even persons who can only make limited use of their reason and freedom enjoy dominium.