Intellectual Background of Peter Abelard

Peter Abelard lived in the twelfth century, a time when Europe was experiencing a renaissance in learning. Schools and monasteries were suddenly spreading everywhere, and the debates caused by their differing philosophies were the source of much thought.

The monasteries, and monasticism, focused on the Scripture as the sole source of truth, to the exclusion of all earthly concerns, which were seen as obstacles to spiritual purification. Monasticists believed that humans were incapable of acting morally withouth divine inspiration to do so, since humans were so steeped in original sin. Although they often quoted pagan sources such as Plato or Virgil, they did not believe such non-Scriptural sources held any value in themselves.

Scholasticism flourished in the many non-monastic schools of the time. Although they were not affiliated with any particular theological school, they also concentrated on improving the moral quality of their students, and many of the teachers took vows of celibacy. Also separating the Scholastics from the Monastics was the fact that scholasticism looked for moral teachings not only in the Bible and St. Augustine, but also in pagans like Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero. For them, morality did not require a divine calling; instead, humans could use reason and knowledge to freely choose morality. The study of the pagan moralists was directed towards this aim.

Peter Abelard studied under scholasticists such as William of Champeaux, and identified much more strongly with their outlook on moral teachings than with the monasticists. This is not to say that he agreed with everything his teachers taught. For instance, he often defeated his teachers in public debate over matters such as universals and the free choice of morality. And besides clashing with his scholastic teachers, he also held strong convictions in the area of theology, which was dominated at the time by extreme monasticists such as Bernard of Clairvaux. Bernard was especially offended by his use of "new ideas" not found in scripture.

While Abelard frequently quoted classical pagan writers such as Cicero, it is thought that he did not have much firsthand exposure to these thinkers. Instead, he seems to have quoted almost exclusively from the early fathers of the church rather than from original sources.

Posted By: Sarah Magruder

Last Updated: 12-12-00

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