Abelard, << AB uh `lahrd,` >> Peter (1079-1142), was one of the leading philosophers and theologians of the Middle Ages. But he is probably best known for his love affair with Heloise, a gifted young Frenchwoman.
Abelard was born near Nantes, France. His father, a nobleman, planned a military career for him, but Abelard became a scholar. From 1113 to 1118, he taught theology in Paris. There, Abelard founded a school that, along with two others, developed into the University of Paris.
In 1113, Abelard became the tutor of Heloise, the niece of an official of the Cathedral of Notre Dame. A love affair developed between Abelard and the girl, and she became pregnant. Soon after the birth of their baby in 1118, Heloise and Abelard were secretly married. Fulbert, Heloise’s uncle, learned of the love affair and marriage and was outraged. In anger, Fulbert hired several men who broke into Abelard’s house and castrated him. Soon after the attack, Abelard and Heloise separated. Abelard became a monk, and Heloise joined an order of nuns. The fame of their tragic love affair resulted largely from the many letters they exchanged.
Abelard’s major contributions to medieval thought were in the areas of logic and theology. He urged the use of logic in order to understand and defend Christianity. Abelard compiled a book called Sic et Non (Yes and No). It consisted of the conflicting views of theological authorities on various religious problems and principles. The work became an influential textbook in the medieval philosophical system called scholasticism (see Scholasticism ). Abelard also wrote an important book on ethics and The Story of My Misfortunes, a revealing autobiography. He died on April 21, 1142.
