Abélard, Pierre

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Abélard, Pierre (1079–1142) French philosopher noted for his application of logic in approaching theological questions. In Sic et Non, he attempted to reconcile differences between the Fathers of the Church by using the method of dialectics. In 1140, the Council of Sens condemned his views. Abélard is best known for his tragic love for his pupil Héloise. The affair scandalized his contemporaries. He was castrated and became a monk, and Héloise was forced to enter a convent. The events inspired Abélard's Historia Calamitatum Mearum.