Peter Abelard

Peter Abelard (1079-1142) is one of the great historical philosophers and ranks among the top five philosophers of the medieval period. A Christian philosopher, theologian and logician, Abelard quickly gained fame as a great mind in the late eleventh century in France. His intellect, combined with his appetite for argument, led him to public disputes with many of his teachers. He was particularly concerned to refute the philosophical doctrine of realism and replace it with his own conceptualist doctrine.

As Abelard's fame rose, he acquired a great reputation and hundreds of students. But at the height of his powers, he seduced and fell in love with Heloise d'Argenteuil, one of his students. Abelard received permission from Heloise's uncle Fulbert to share their home so that he could give Heloise private lessons. But their private lessons quickly became sessions of private love-making. This ultimately led to their being...