Shifts in Scholarship in 12th c.:
Seeking to understand natural world
Value of reason
Revival of Classical works and Arabic
studies thereof
Emergence of dialectic
Pondering individual’s position in world
Natural Philosophy:
Humans’ relationship to world and God
Studies of Genesis
Use of Classical texts leading to use
of dialectic
Dialectic:
Pioneered by Socrates, Plato, Aristotle
Transfer of Arabic works using it to
Europe - possibly influential
Used in e.g. law and theology
How do we prove that God exists?
Anselm of Bec (c. 1034-1109)
Monk, eventually abbot of Bec
c. 1077 Asked to prove existence of God
without using scripture. Addressed topic
in Proslogion: “ontological proof.”
Refuted by Gaunilo, “On Behalf of the
Fool”
1093 Becomes Archbishop of Canterbury
Peter Abelard (1079-1142)
Son of a Breton knight. Studied
under William of Champeaux
Fell out with master, taught
philosophy, then studied
theology under Anselm of Laon
Fell out with master, taught theology,
in Paris from 1113
Peter Abelard (1079-1142)
Affair with Heloise, niece of Fulbert, canon
of Cathedral of Notre Dame
Astrolabe
Peter Abelard (1079-1142)
Abelard enters abbey of St Denis
Heloise also enters an abbey as a nun
Correspondence
Peter Abelard (1079-1142)
Abelard quarrels with monks of St Denis, then
in 1121 is condemned by church council.
Seeks to live as hermit, but followed by
students
1126 Becomes abbot of St Gildas, Brittany
1133 Flees St Gildas. Subsequently teaches
in Reims, then Paris
Peter Abelard (1079-1142)
1141 Condemned by church council at
instigation of Bernard of Clairvaux.
Sets out for Rome to appeal to pope
but falls ill en route. Takes refuge at
Cluny. Dies at Cluny in 1142
History of My Adversities (1132-33)
Peter Abelard (1079-1142)
Dialectic (1121-25)
Sic et Non
Universals:
Platonic Realism: There is a realm of
forms where exist ideal archetypes
of every quality or object (e.g. rose).
Earthly objects as imperfect versions
of ideal forms
Nominalism: Universals are mere names
invented by people
Universals:
End 11th c. Roscellinus teaches extreme
nominalism, while William of
Champeaux teaches extreme Platonic
realism
Abelard teaches “conceptualism.”
Universals as abstract concepts in
mind, but also real things inhering
in real objects
Works demonstrating contemplation of
self and relationship to world