Shifts in Scholarship in 12th c.:

Seeking to understand natural world

Value of reason

Revival of Classical works and Arabicstudies 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 useof dialectic

Dialectic:

Pioneered by Socrates, Plato, Aristotle

Transfer of Arabic works using it toEurope - 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 Godwithout using scripture. Addressed topicin Proslogion: “ontological proof.”Refuted by Gaunilo, “On Behalf of theFool”

1093 Becomes Archbishop of Canterbury

Peter Abelard (1079-1142)

Son of a Breton knight. Studiedunder William of Champeaux

Fell out with master, taughtphilosophy, then studiedtheology under Anselm of Laon

Fell out with master, taught theology,in Paris from 1113

Peter Abelard (1079-1142)

Affair with Heloise, niece of Fulbert, canonof 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, thenin 1121 is condemned by church council.Seeks to live as hermit, but followed bystudents

1126 Becomes abbot of St Gildas, Brittany

1133 Flees St Gildas. Subsequently teachesin Reims, then Paris

Peter Abelard (1079-1142)

1141 Condemned by church council atinstigation of Bernard of Clairvaux.Sets out for Rome to appeal to popebut falls ill en route. Takes refuge atCluny. 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 offorms where exist ideal archetypesof every quality or object (e.g. rose).Earthly objects as imperfect versionsof ideal forms

Nominalism: Universals are mere namesinvented by people

Universals:

End 11th c. Roscellinus teaches extremenominalism, while William ofChampeaux teaches extreme Platonicrealism

Abelard teaches “conceptualism.”Universals as abstract concepts inmind, but also real things inheringin real objects

Works demonstrating contemplation ofself and relationship to world