Synopses & Reviews
This book offers a major reassessment of the philosophy of Peter Abelard (1079-1142), which shows that he was a far more constructive and wider-ranging thinker than has usually been supposed. It combines detailed historical discussion, based on published and manuscript sources, with philosophical analysis that aims to make clear Abelard's central arguments about the nature of things, language and the mind, and about morality. Although the book concentrates on these philosophical questions, it places them within their theological and wider intellectual context.
Synopsis
A major reassessment of the philosophy of Peter Abelard (1079 1142).
Table of Contents
Preface; List of abbreviations; Note on the reference system; Introduction; Part I: 1. A life; 2. Teachings and writings on logic; 3. Abelardâs theological project; Excursus I: the letters of Abelard and Heloise; Conclusion: Abelardâs logic and his theory; Part II: Introduction; 4. Logic, philosophy and exegesis; 5. Substance, differentiae and accidents; 6. Forms and language; 7. Perception and knowledge; 8. Universals; Conclusion: dicta, non-things and the limits of Abelardâs ontology; Part III: Introduction; 9. Ethics, Godâs power and his wisdom; 10. Godâs goodness: theodicy and the meaning of âgoodâ; 11. Act, intention and consent; 12. Contempt, law and conscience; 13. Virtue, love and merit; Excursus II: love, selflessness and Heloise; 14. Ethics, society and practice; Conclusion: Abelardâs theological doctrines and his philosophical ethics; General conclusion; Appendix: Abelard as a âcritical thinkerâ; Select bibliography; Index.