Peter Abelard Research Paper

Peter Abelard was a French philosopher and theologian during twelfth-century Europe. Despite the fact that there were schools specifically with monasteries and cathedrals, a new way of learning soon arose during his time. He was known for exemplifying this new model of learning. Abelard, like many other Philosophers during the olden times, paved his way into being successful by establishing his own way of thinking and teaching. Along with this recognition, undeniably came criticism too. Some of his scholars even felt threatened by him and coerced church officials to question his doings. The success Abelard gained teaching new ways of learning eventually led him to appear in front of church officials.
The document is a piece from his autobiography
When a suggestion was given by the bishop of Chartres that they should essentially just let it be, they were livid. Abelard says, “They hurried to the legate, made him reverse his decision and persuaded him against his better judgment to condemn the book without any inquiry, burn it immediately in the sight of all and condemn me to perpetual confinement in a different monastery” (Lualdi 215). Abelard knew at this point that no matter what he did, he could not do anything. His enemies had won and he lost. At the end, they “accused” him of reading his treatise in public and making copies without permission from the Pope. Nonetheless it was just an excuse that they used to overpower Abelard. He shares a conversation he had with the bishop, “He [the bishop] said I could be confident that such violence so clearly prompted by jealously would discredit them and benefit me, and told me not to worry about being confined in a monastery as he knew that the papal legate was only acting under pressure…” (Lualdi 215). He describes that as the “comfort he could [give]” (Lualdi 215). His opponents were furious that Abelard had more students than they did. They were angry at the fact that Abelard was going against what his own teachers taught him by creating new ways of learning. This goes to show how envious and threatened Abelard’s fellow scholars were of his success and