in History, Philosophy | June 18th, 2026 Leave a Comment
The ill-fated romance of Abelard and Héloïse may be a permanent cultural fixture, but it’s worth asking what any of us understand about Abelard or Héloïse themselves. Before the two ever crossed paths, Peter Abelard was already a celebrated philosopher in France whose classes drew large and enthusiastic crowds. This was, bear in mind, a time and place where arguing realism versus conceptualism amounted to a spectator sport. A modern framing might analogize him to a cross between an intellectual athlete and a public intellectual. That he would attract admiring pupils is a given, but none seems to have exuded the sheer allure of Héloïse d’Argenteuil.
That allure, moreover, was of the mind at least as much as of the body. “A prodigy from a young age, Héloïse was fluent in several languages and renowned for her poetry, musical prowess, and fiery wit,” explains the narrator of the new video from Aeon above. ”
As women couldn’t attend university, her uncle and guardian arranged for her to continue her education with a renowned young scholar.” That, of course, was Abelard, who didn’t need too much one-on-one time with his new pupil before deciding to cast off his famously ascetic ways and roll the dice on love. Alas, we all know at least the more dramatic points of how it turned out: castration for Abelard, self-imposed cloistering for the both of them. Yet even that didn’t mark the end of their association.
