Francisco de Vitoria (1492-1546) was a Renaissance theologian, founder of the tradition in philosophy known as the School of Salamanca, noted especially for his contributions to the theory of Just War.
He became a Dominican in 1504, and was educated at the College Saint-Jacques in Paris, where he went on to teach theology from 1515. In 1523. he returned to Spain to teach theology at the monastery of St. Gregory at Valladolid. Three years later, he was elected to the Prime Chair of theology at the University of Salamanca, where he was instrumental in promoting Thomism.
His works are known only from his lecture notes, he himself having published nothing. A noted scholar, he was publicly consulted by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, ruler of Spain in his time. An important part of his influence was the justification of the imposition of Spanish imperial power over the indigenous inhabitants of America, although he was not as thoroughgoing in these justifications as the emperor might have liked.
