16 Peter Abelard Quotes

Peter Abelard quotes

1. Prima sapientiae clavis definitur, assidua scilicet seu frequens interrogation : Dubitando enim ad inquisitionem venimus; inquirendo veritatem percipimus.

2. Bonam quippe intentionem, hoc est, rectam in se dicimus, operationem vero non quod boni aliquid in se suscipiat, sed quod ex bona intentione procedat. Unde et ab eodem homine cum in diversis temporibus idem fiat, pro diversitate tamen intentione eius operatio modo bono modo mala dicitur.

3. O quanta qualia sunt illa sabbata, quae semper celebrat superna curia.

4. The purpose and cause of the incarnation was that He might illuminate the world by His wisdom and excite it to the love of Himself.

1. By doubting we come to inquiry. By inquiry we come to Truth.

2. The key to wisdom is this - constant and frequent questioning, for by doubting we are led to question and by questioning we arrive at the truth.

3. In comparing your sorrows with mine, you may discover that yours are in truth nought.. and so shall you come to bear them the more easily grateful that they are not worse.

4. Chess is a good way to learn, to keep your brain fit and the ego in check, a mental form of your local gymnasium. Those who see chess merely as a means of self-proof make the game experience uncomfortable and drive many of the better, more sensitive brains to analysis, correspondence, problems, studies and the like.

5. I preferred the weapons of dialectic to all the other teachings of philosophy, and armed with these, I chose the conflicts of disputation rather than the trophies of war.

6. Are you not moved to tears and bitter compassion, when you behold the only Son of God seized by the most impious, dragged away, mocked, scourged, buffeted, spit upon, crowned with thorns, hung upon the infamous cross between two thieves, finally in such a horrible and execrable manner suffering death, for your salvation and that of the world?

7. We call an 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.

8. Language is generated by the intellect and generates the intellect.

9. Alone thou goest forth, O Lord, in sacrifice to die; is this thy sorrow naught to us who pass unheeding by? Our sins, not thine, thou bearest, Lord; make us thy sorrow feel, till through our pity and our shame love answers love's appeal. This is earth's darkest hour, but thou dost light and life restore; then let all praise be given thee who livest evermore. Grant us with thee to suffer pain that, as we share this hour, thy cross may bring us to thy joy and resurrection power.

10. The men who abandon themselves to the passions of this miserable life, are compared in Scripture to beasts.

11. Our redemption through the suffering of Christ is that deeper love within us which not only frees us from slavery to sin, but also secures for us the true liberty of the children of God, in order that we might do all things out of love rather than out of fear - love for him that has shown us such grace that no greater can be found.

12. The first key to wisdom is assiduous and frequent questioning.