Peter Abelard

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/peter-abelard

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Peter Abelard born?Around 1079
2. Where was Peter Abelard born?Near Nantes, France
3. When did Peter Abelard die?April 21, 1142 (age approximately 63)
4. What is the career?Philosopher, theologian, logician, poet, educator, and monk
5. Who was Peter Abelard?Peter Abelard was a very smart thinker from France who lived in the 1100s. He taught people how to use logic and ask questions instead of just memorizing what others said.
6. What is the book 'Sic et Non'?'Sic et Non' is a book that lists many contradictory statements from famous writers. It challenges readers to use reason to decide which statements might be true.

Dialectic: A method of philosophical argument that involves some sort of logical defense and counter-defense of propositions and notions.
Scholasticism: A medieval method of critical thought that employed a dialectical analysis to resolve learning in theology and other subjects.
Heresy: Belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious (especially Christian) doctrine.
Monasticism: A religious way of life in which one has abandoned worldly pursuits and committed oneself to spiritual discipline.