Peter Abelard
A medieval scholastic philosopher and theologian, famous for his intellectual prowess and tragic love affair.
Most quoted
"I preferred the weapons of dialectic to all the other teachings of philosophy, and armed with these I chose the conflicts of disputation instead of the trophies of war."
— from Historia Calamitatum
"We call the intention good which is right in itself, but the action is good not because it contains within it some good, but because it issues from a good intention."
— from Ethics (Scito Teipsum)
"We set forth the various opinions of the Fathers, not to decide the question, but to provoke the young readers to the maximum effort in seeking the truth."
— from Sic et Non
All quotes by Peter Abelard (153)
God is truth alone.
Continence is the foe of heresy.
The danger of heresy is greater than that of vice.
Our repentance is not so much sorrow for the ill we have done, as fear of the ill that may happen to us in consequence.
I had rather be mad than wicked.
The mind is the seat of reason, and reason the light of the soul.
Truth seeks no corners.
In the midst of justice, injustice appears.
The authority of those who teach is often an obstacle to those who wish to learn.
To doubt is the beginning of wisdom.
Human reason is a divine gift.
The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.
Fame is the shadow of passion.
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
Reason is the first principle of all things divine.
Love is the only thing that never fails.
The teacher is the one who points out the way, but the student must walk it.
Doubt everything and then believe what you find to be true.
The soul is immortal and cannot perish.
Happiness is found in the pursuit of truth.
Contemporaries of Peter Abelard
Other Philosophys born within 50 years of Peter Abelard (1079–1142).