Francisco de Vitoria, also known as Francisco de Victoria, was a Spanish Catholic philosopher, theologian, and jurist of Renaissance Spain. He is the founder of the tradition in philosophy known as the School of Salamanca, which laid the groundwork for early free-market economics and individual rights, influencing the development of libertarian thought. Vitoria's work on natural law and the freedom of exchange contributed to later Austrian School economists' emphasis on the moral basis for voluntary commerce. Although less known than others of his kind, he has been considered one of the most influential humanists of the Renaissance. 1480 – August 22, 1546; died at about 66. Alive at the same time as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Martin Luther, Christopher Columbus, and Niccolò Machiavelli. Wiki link