Teoria universaliilor la Pierre Abélard

Abstract

The key issue in the medieval tradition is the so- called quarrel of universals or dispute nominalism realism, which refers to the relation that exists between individual objects and universals. One of the most original and revelatory theories of universals of the entire Middle Ages, belongs to Peter Abelard, who starts from the demonstration that universals are not things (res). He formulated several theories on the status of universals: a) essence does not preclude the existence; b)universals as indifferentiae do not make sense; c) universal is not a "collection"; d) universals as individual essences are contradictory. Thus, Peter Abelard 's theory about the status of universals it can be at the same time nominalistic and realistic.