Alternate names/spellings: Pierre

Dates: 1079 - 1142 (Dates are approximate. ) 

Peter Abelard was a philosopher, teacher, theologian, and logician, and considered to be one of the greatest thinkers of the Middle Ages. Today, he is most famous for having a tragic affair with his gifted student, Heloise. In the Middle Ages, he was known for his contributions to scholastic philosophy: his ideas of dialectic provide some of the basis of scholasticism. He was a well-respected teacher at the University of Paris: students flocked to Paris to hear his lectures. Some of his theological ideas about the Trinity were challenged and condemned by the Church.

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