Difference between revisions of "Abelard, Pierre (c.1079-1142)"

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[[File:Pierre Abelard & Heliose.jpg|right|525px|thumb|Pierre Abelard & Heliose]]
 
[[File:Pierre Abelard & Heliose.jpg|right|525px|thumb|Pierre Abelard & Heliose]]
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'''Pierre Abélard''' was a French philosopher born in the village of Palet near Nantes. He received his instruction in dialectic from Roscelin of Compiegne and William of Champeaux, and later developed into a brilliant and highly influential teacher in his own right, chiefly at Paris.
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'''Pierre Abélard''' was a French philosopher born in the village of Palet near Nantes. He studied dialectic under Roscelin of Compiègne and William of Champeaux, later becoming a brilliant and highly influential teacher, primarily in Paris.
  
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After a tragic love affair with Héliose, niece of a canon of Notre Dame, he embraced the monastic life. His subsequent career was filled with turmoil and controversy.  His theological writings encountered the determined opposition of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, founder of the [[Abbey#Cistercian Abbeys|abbey]] there. Abélard also met with ecclesiastical condemnation at Soissons (1121) and Sens (1141).  He was laid under ban of excommunication by the pope and, submitting to the judgment of the Church, retired to the Abbey of Cluny, where he shortly died.
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After a tragic love affair with Héloïse, the niece of a canon of Notre Dame, he entered monastic life. His career was turbulent, marked by controversy and opposition, particularly from St. Bernard of Clairvaux, founder of the [[Abbey#Cistercian Abbeys|abbey]] there. Abélard faced ecclesiastical condemnation at Soissons (1121) and Sens (1141), and was ultimately excommunicated by the pope. Submitting to the Church's judgment, he retired to the Abbey of Cluny, where he died shortly after.
  
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As a dialectician, Abélard criticised and rejected all forms of realism maintained during his time, especially that of his teacher, William of Champeaux, whom he forced, by his attacks, first to modify and then altogether to abandon his original position.  Influenced by the nominalism of Roscelin, he insisted that if we define a universal as "what can be predicated of many," genera and species and the rest cannot be things (''res''), but only words (''voces'').
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As a dialectician, Abélard challenged and rejected the dominant forms of realism of his time, particularly that of his teacher, William of Champeaux, whom he forced to modify and ultimately abandon his original views.  Influenced by Roscelin's nominalism, he argued that universals — such as genera and species — are not things (''res'') but merely words (''voces'').
  
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His more mature position is that universals are not ''voces'', which are vocally uttered sounds and are, after all, things, which cannot be predicated, but that universals are ''sermones'', words in the sense of sounds to which a signification has been assigned by human institution. But Abélard's doctrine considered as a whole is no mere nominalism. He substantially reappropriated for the first time in the Middle Ages the moderate realism of Boethius and anticipated that of Thomas Aquinas.
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In his more developed view, universals are not just ''voces'', which are mere vocal utterances, but rather ''sermones'' — words assigned meaning through human convention. His philosophy, however, was not purely nominalist. He reintroduced the moderate realism of Boethius into medieval thought, foreshadowing the ideas of Thomas Aquinas.
  
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Abélard's ethics emphasised the central importance for moral judgment of the intention of the agent. His best known works are the theological treatise, ''Scito te ipsum'' and his autobiography, ''Historia Calamitatum'', both of which would count as rare texts.
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Abélard's ethical philosophy accentuated the role of intention in moral judgment. His most well-known works include the theological treatise ''Scito te ipsum'' and his autobiographical ''Historia Calamitatum'', both considered rare and significant texts.
  
  
 
See [[Philosophers]]
 
See [[Philosophers]]
  
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[[Category: Historical Persons]][[Category: Writers]]
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[[Category: Historical Persons]][[Category: Writers]][[Category: Reviewed]]

Revision as of 21:20, 11 February 2025

Pierre Abelard & Heliose

Pierre Abélard was a French philosopher born in the village of Palet near Nantes. He studied dialectic under Roscelin of Compiègne and William of Champeaux, later becoming a brilliant and highly influential teacher, primarily in Paris.

After a tragic love affair with Héloïse, the niece of a canon of Notre Dame, he entered monastic life. His career was turbulent, marked by controversy and opposition, particularly from St. Bernard of Clairvaux, founder of the abbey there. Abélard faced ecclesiastical condemnation at Soissons (1121) and Sens (1141), and was ultimately excommunicated by the pope. Submitting to the Church's judgment, he retired to the Abbey of Cluny, where he died shortly after.

As a dialectician, Abélard challenged and rejected the dominant forms of realism of his time, particularly that of his teacher, William of Champeaux, whom he forced to modify and ultimately abandon his original views. Influenced by Roscelin's nominalism, he argued that universals — such as genera and species — are not things (res) but merely words (voces).

In his more developed view, universals are not just voces, which are mere vocal utterances, but rather sermones — words assigned meaning through human convention. His philosophy, however, was not purely nominalist. He reintroduced the moderate realism of Boethius into medieval thought, foreshadowing the ideas of Thomas Aquinas.

Abélard's ethical philosophy accentuated the role of intention in moral judgment. His most well-known works include the theological treatise Scito te ipsum and his autobiographical Historia Calamitatum, both considered rare and significant texts.


See Philosophers

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