The Philosophy of Peter Abelard

This 1997 book offers a major reassessment of the philosophy of Peter Abelard (1079–1142).

John Marenbon (Author)

9780521663991, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 23 September 1999

396 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.2 cm, 0.58 kg

'… not only an outstanding exposition of Abelard's philosophy, but a work that opens up for specialists and non-specialists the world of twelfth-century thought.' The Times Literary Supplement

This 1997 book offers a major reassessment of the philosophy of Peter Abelard (1079–1142) which argues that he was not, as usually presented, a predominantly critical thinker but a constructive one. By way of evidence the author offers analyses of frequently discussed topics in Abelard's philosophy, and examines other areas such as the nature of substances and accidents, cognition, the definition of 'good' and 'evil', virtues and merit, and practical ethics in detail. Part I discusses Abelard's life and works, and considers problems of chronology and canon (including the question of the authenticity of the correspondence with Heloise). Part II analyses Abelard's ontology, epistemology and semantics, showing how he tried to reconstruct the ideas he had learned from Aristotle, Porphyry and Boethius to fit his presumption that there is nothing which is not a particular. Part III analyses Abelard's ethical theory, showing that it is far wider and more sophisticated than has been believed.

Preface
List of abbreviations
Note on the reference system
Introduction
Part I: 1. A life
2. Teachings and writings on logic
3. Abelard's theological project
Excursus I: the letters of Abelard and Heloise
Conclusion: Abelard's logic and his theory
Part II: Introduction
4. Logic, philosophy and exegesis
5. Substance, differentiae and accidents
6. Forms and language
7. Perception and knowledge
8. Universals
Conclusion: dicta, non-things and the limits of Abelard's ontology
Part III: Introduction
9. Ethics, God's power and his wisdom
10. God's goodness: theodicy and the meaning of 'good'
11. Act, intention and consent
12. Contempt, law and conscience
13. Virtue, love and merit
Excursus II: love, selflessness and Heloise
14. Ethics, society and practice
Conclusion: Abelard's theological doctrines and his philosophical ethics
General conclusion
Appendix: Abelard as a 'critical thinker'
Select bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: History of ideas [JFCX]