Mental existence in Abelard

Abstract

This research begins with a critical, analytical, and philosophical study of Peter Abelard's concept of mental existence as a central concept in medieval scholastic thought and an epistemological starting point for a profound shift in addressing the problem of universals and the relationship between mind, reality, and language. The research proceeds from the fundamental premise that Abelard did not merely offer a middle ground between realism and nominalism, but rather established a comprehensive epistemological framework that makes the mind the true domain for the formation of meanings and universals, thus shifting the question of universals from the realm of ontology to that of epistemology.The research employs a critical textual analysis methodology, based on a study of Abelard's original texts and their philosophical analysis within the broader scholastic context, utilizing comparative and conceptual approaches.