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John of Salisbury
John of Salisbury
John was born in Old Sarum near Salisbury. In 1136 he began a career as student and then scholar in the schools of Paris (where he studied with Peter Abelard) and Chartres, then the center of humanistic studies of the arts and of the Latin classics. He became proficient in rhetoric, literary analysis, logic, and law, both ecclesiastical and Roman. In 1148 John probably entered the service of Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury, where he remained until 1150, when he went to Rome to assume a post of uncertain nature in the Papal Curia. From 1153 or 1154 he was again at Canterbury, as Theobald's private secretary. In 1159 John completed his first major work, Policraticus, or Statesman's Book. Policraticus was the first medieval study of the state and the prince; John's analyses of the conduct of good and bad princes testify to his understanding of the new power attained by centralized authority in the 12th century, thanks to the end of the Viking invasions and the development of stable feudal relationships. The Metalogicon, written shortly after Policraticus, is a work of educational theory, assessing the role of the arts and defending them against narrow-minded critics. John utilized in Metalogicon the newly discovered works of Aristotle, which would dominate education in the following century. About this time (1162), Thomas Becket, whom John had befriended while Becket was still chancellor of England, succeeded Theobald as archbishop. John sided with Becket in his controversy with Henry II of England and in 1164 went into voluntary exile because of his views. Early in 1170 he returned to England and was present at Becket's martyrdom on December 29. While in exile, he had written the Historia pontificalis (probably begun in 1164; Papal History), an unfinished but fascinating account of the papal court during the years 1148-1152. John remained at Canterbury, at work on an unfinished biography of Becket, until 1176, when he was elected bishop of Chartres, an office he held until his death on Oct. 25, 1180. Charitable, honest, and reasonable, he appears in all his works as a model Christian humanist. Further ReadingThe source of most information about John is his letters, a collection of which, edited and translated by W. J. Millor and S. J. and H. E. Butler, was revised by C. N. L. Brooke (1955). The best introduction to John is the biography by C. C. J. Webb, John of Salisbury (1932). Hans Liebeschütz, Medieval Humanism in the Life and Writings of John of Salisbury (1950), provides the intellectual context for John's career. □ |
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"John of Salisbury." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "John of Salisbury." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3404703334.html "John of Salisbury." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3404703334.html |
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John of Salisbury
John of Salisbury , c.1110-1180, English scholastic philosopher, b. Salisbury. He studied in France at Paris and Chartres under Abelard and other famous teachers. He was secretary to Theobald, archbishop of Canterbury, and friend and secretary to St. Thomas à Becket, of whom he wrote a biography. From 1176 to 1180, John was bishop of Chartres. His two main works are the Polycraticus, a treatise on the principles of government, and the Metalogicus, which presents a picture of the intellectual life and the scholastic controversies of the age. He was well acquainted with the Latin classics, and the influence of Platonism on his writing is considerable. He was one of the originators of moderate realism as a solution to the controversy with nominalism.
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"John of Salisbury." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "John of Salisbury." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-JohnSali.html "John of Salisbury." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-JohnSali.html |
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John of Salisbury
John of Salisbury (c.1120–80). Scholar and clerical author. His letters and books drew on his own experience in church politics and reflected the immense range of his classical and Christian scholarship. Born at Salisbury, a student at Paris (1136–46) in the days of Abelard, in his Metalogicon he defended the value of logic as an intellectual discipline. As political secretary to Archbishop Theobald (1147–61) of Canterbury he used his friendship with Adrian IV to promote Canterbury's interests at the papal curia and then used his insider knowledge to discuss both the theory of church–state relations and contemporary history in his Policraticus and the Memoirs of the Papal Court. He acted as adviser to Becket during his quarrel with Henry II and then became an active hagiographer, promoting the cult of the murdered archbishop. In 1176 he was elected bishop of Chartres.
John Gillingham |
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JOHN CANNON. "John of Salisbury." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "John of Salisbury." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-JohnofSalisbury.html JOHN CANNON. "John of Salisbury." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-JohnofSalisbury.html |
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John of Salisbury
John of Salisbury (fl. 1120–80), studied at Paris under Abelard and at Chartres, returning to England 1154. He was secretary to Becket with whom he was exiled when he fell into disfavour with Henry II. He wrote a life of Becket and of Anselm. He became bishop of Chartres in 1176. The most learned classical writer of his time, he was often seen as the principal humanist inspiration in ‘the twelfth-century Renaissance’. Among his works are the Polycraticus (or De nugis Curialium), on the vanities of the court and miscellaneous questions of philosophy; the Metalogicon, a treatise on logic and an account of Aristotle's treatment of the subject; and Historia Pontificalis. (See also Anglo-Latin literature.)
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MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "John of Salisbury." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "John of Salisbury." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-JohnofSalisbury.html MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "John of Salisbury." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-JohnofSalisbury.html |
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John of Salisbury
John of Salisbury (c.1115–80), humanist. From 1147 he was a member of the household of Theobald, Abp. of Canterbury, and on his death entered the service of his successor, Thomas Becket, whom he supported in his quarrel with Henry II. In 1176 he became Bp. of Chartres.
His chief writings are the Policraticus, a survey of courtly life with a discussion of political problems, and the Metalogicon, a defence of the study of grammar, rhetoric, and logic. His Historia Pontificalis, covering the years 1148–51, deals chiefly with the affairs of the Papal court. His letters are an important source for the history of the contest between Becket and Henry II. |
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E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "John of Salisbury." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "John of Salisbury." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-JohnofSalisbury.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "John of Salisbury." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-JohnofSalisbury.html |
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John of Salisbury
John of Salisbury (c.1120–80). Scholar and clerical author. Born at Salisbury, a student at Paris (1136–46) in the days of Abelard, in his Metalogicon he defended the value of logic as an intellectual discipline. As political secretary to Archbishop Theobald (1147–61) of Canterbury he used his friendship with Adrian IV to promote Canterbury's interests at the papal curia. He acted as adviser to Becket during his quarrel with Henry II and then promoted the cult of the murdered archbishop.
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JOHN CANNON. "John of Salisbury." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "John of Salisbury." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-JohnofSalisbury.html JOHN CANNON. "John of Salisbury." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-JohnofSalisbury.html |
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John of Salisbury
John of Salisbury see John of Salisbury . |
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Cite this article
"John of Salisbury." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "John of Salisbury." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-SalsbryJ.html "John of Salisbury." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-SalsbryJ.html |
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