Text: The Letters of Abelard and Heloise, trans. and intr. B. Radice (London: Penguin, 1974).

Purpose: The primary purpose of this book review is to expose you to both the thought world and the real world of medieval men and women through the life and writings of Abelard and Heloise. Specifically, this assignment will require you to think about the nature of and relationship between medieval philosophy, religion, and scholarship; the role of women in the middle ages; and, as you had to do in examining Athens in the time of Socrates, the rights of the individual and the degree of intellectual freedom allowed by this society. This exercise will give you practice in one of the most difficult tasks faced by the historian—that of attempting to understand on its own terms a time and place very different from one’s own.

Length and Format: As always, you should write as much as is necessary in order to treat your topic adequately. A length of 4 to 5 pages should be sufficient. Your review must be typed neatly and written in clear, coherent English prose. Anything less will, inevitably, detract from your grade.

Content: Your opening paragraph should briefly introduce the work, its subject matter, purpose, scope and character. Furthermore, it must contain a statement of the thesis of your paper. Biographical details concerning the author are only worth relating if, in your view, they explain something important about the work.

The remainder of your review should consider no more than two of the following questions (and, as you may have learned from your first paper, limiting yourself to one question can simplify your task):

• Using the writings of Abelard and Heloise as a guide, explain the significance of religion in this society. How do Christian theology and Church institutions influence their lives?
• What role does ancient or classical thought and culture play in this society? Has the learning of ancient Greece and Rome been rejected or ignored by Abelard and Heloise, or do they find some use for it? If so, how do they use it?
• What does Heloise’s experience tell us about the role of women in medieval society? What career options were available to an intelligent young woman such as Heloise? What was denied her?
• Assess Heloise’s relationship with Abelard. Is it what we might call today ‘traditional’ (i.e., one in which the male assumes a dominant role)? To what extent are Abelard and Heloise constrained by contemporary assumptions about male and female roles of their time?
• To what extent do the thought, writings, and experience of Abelard and Heloise illustrate the scholastic method? How does the method work? How does it compare to the method that preceded it? How does it differ from the Socratic method? Which is the most reliable method for discovering truth?
• Given the experience of Abelard and Heloise, was medieval society more or less tolerant of individuality and free intellectual inquiry than Socrates’ Athens?