Podcast 2: Catholic church and international law

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This video is interesting. I was able to listen to your understanding of this video in connection to our topic for this week (IR302 - nature and development of international law). You were also able to briefly connect the video to the paragraphs we read from Malcolm Shaw's book on international law.

Dr. Thomas Woods has a really simple way of explaining the origin of international law. I hope you can listen again to his explanation and compare with what is written in Shaw's book. Apart for Shaw's book, you have other required readings in the reading folder for your reading pleasure.

I was also fascinated by the role played by the Catholic church in the origins of international law. In particular Fr. Francisco de Vitoria who defended the rights of the Indians of the new world against Spanish colonists. 

Another interesting discussion was the distinction between Machiavelli's work and the teachings of the Catholic church. This distinction helps us to understand the concept of natural rights and how it was applied in the case of the Indians.

If the Machiavellian logic was applied then the Spanish theologians would not have questioned what the colonists were doing in the colonies. Whatever they were doing regardless of the nature of their actions was justified so long as the Spanish empire benefited.

I look forward to your podcast next week. I hope you can dissect this video and critique in detail the different parts of this video.

Please note that if your podcast is below 25MB then you can share on this forum. You do not need to come and submit in person via a flash or hard drive. This is possible if you export your project as an MP3 file using the recommended audacity software. Please see me for assistance during my consultation hours.



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