Peter Abelard

Abelard, Peter (1079–1142), leading medieval French scholastic philosopher and teacher. The school he founded in Paris would evolve into the University of Paris. The main thrust of Abelard's philosophy was that the power of human thinking or reason could achieve true knowledge in the natural and supernatural spheres. He excelled in his study of the nature of abstraction and in his search for the source of responsibility in human actions. The church condemned Abelard's original teachings as heretical. Abelard is probably best remembered for his love affair with Héloïse, one of his pupils. Following the birth of a child, Héloïse and Abelard married secretly, but Héloïse's vengeful uncle had Abelard castrated. After separating to take up monastic life, the couple exchanged a series of moving love letters.