Peter Abelard

Jenny Davis Barnett (University of Queensland)

Ed. by Marianne Ailes, University of Bristol
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.5.2.01: French Writing and Culture: Old French to the Middle Ages , 500-1400.
Vol. editors: Marianne Ailes (University of Bristol), Matthew Siôn Lampitt (University of Bristol), Tim Unwin (University of Bristol), David Williams (University of Sheffield)

Dates

Born 1079
Died 1142
Activity c. 1130-1142

Places

Born in France
Active in France

Activities

Primary

Philosopher
Theologian

Resources

Abelard's Works

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Peter Abelard was a philosopher, theologian, and teacher of twelfth-century France. He is known as the pioneer of Scholastic Philosophy and the first great nominalist philosopher. He made important contributions to the field of logic but his thoughts on theology were controversial at the time. His intellectual genius is overshadowed by his romance with student Heloise of Argenteuil.

Abelard was born in 1079 in Le Pallet, a commune in the modern-day Loire-Atlantique department in western France. His family was minor nobility. Encouraged by his father to study letters from a young age before preparing to be a knight, Abelard developed a passion for knowledge and philosophic studies. Hence, he chose to abandon military life and the honour of a knighthood for a life of the mind.

Abelard was…

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1480 words

Citation: Barnett, Jenny Davis. "Peter Abelard". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 February 2021 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4, accessed 21 November 2024.]

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