How a sixteenth-century theologian pioneered the modern rules for evaluating historical evidence

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Melchor Cano was a brilliant Spanish scholastic who sought to strip theology of its trivialities. In his quest to ground religion in first principles, he developed a rigorous method for assessing the credibility of historical documents, effectively creating a scientific framework for evidence that remains relevant to historians today.

Born around 1509, Melchor Cano emerged as a central figure in the Salamanca school of New Scholasticism. A student of Francisco de Vitoria, Cano became a formidable intellectual force, known for his sharp mind and intense rivalries, most notably with Bartolomé Carranza. His career was marked by both academic prestige and political turbulence; he attended the Council of Trent and served as a bishop in the Canary Islands, though he quickly renounced the position. His influence extended to the highest levels of power, as he advised King Philip II to assert royal authority against papal encroachment, a stance that earned him the enmity of Pope Paul IV.

Cano’s enduring legacy rests on his posthumous masterpiece, De locis theologicis, published in 1563. Moving away from the convoluted subtleties that dominated medieval scholasticism, Cano aimed to establish a systematic, scientific approach to theology. He sought to purge the field of what he viewed as puerile distractions, prioritizing clarity, method, and coordination. By treating theology as a rigorous discipline, he helped bridge the gap between traditional religious thought and the burgeoning intellectual currents of the Renaissance.

Perhaps his most striking contribution was his early inquiry into the credibility of historical sources. Cano proposed that when serious historians reach a consensus on a fact, that fact should be accepted as true, even if it seems improbable. He famously illustrated this by noting that denying such consensus would be as absurd as Mediterranean peoples denying the existence of the ocean or mocking the existence of elephants. This focus on the weight of collective testimony marked a significant step toward the modern, evidence-based evaluation of historical records, positioning Cano as a pioneer in the science of conjecture.

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