Natural and human law in the Atlantic context: Alonso de la Veracruz and Tomás de Mercado/Ley natural y humana en el contexto atlántico: Alonso de la Veracruz and Tomás de Mercado

In this paper on the early Mexican thinkers Alonso de la Veracruz and Tomás de Mercado, a scarcely explored topic will be pursued: the foundational role of natural law and its interpretability through human law. It will be shown that both authors, based on the Salamancan traditions of the 16th century, introduce a method that would affirm the validity of natural law and, at the same time, allow diverse applications of the normative parameters of human law. As Veracruz argues in his critique of tithing for indigenous peoples, the natural law can be reinterpreted based on concrete social facts. In the case of Mercado, even when human law is congruent with natural law, it can be disregarded to avoid personal or public harm mainly in commercial transactions.