Peter Abelard (; Latin: Petrus Abaelardus or Abailardus; French: Pierre Abélard, pronounced [a.be.laːʁ]; c. 1079 – 21 April 1142) was a medieval French scholastic philosopher, theologian, teacher, musician, composer, poet, and preeminent logician. He is best known in popular culture for his passionate love affair and intense philosophical exchange with his brilliant student and eventual wife, Héloïse d'Argenteuil. He is described as "the keenest thinker and boldest theologian of the 12th century" and as arguably the greatest logician of the Middle Ages. "His genius was evident in all he did"; as the first to use 'theology' in its modern sense, he championed "reason in matters of faith", and "seemed larger than life to his contemporaries: his quick wit, sharp tongue, perfect memory, and boundless arrogance made him unbeatable in debate"--"the force of his personality impressed itself vividly on all with whom he came into contact." He is furthermore considered the most significant forerunner of the modern self-reflective autobiographer, paving the way and setting the tone with his publicly distributed letter, "The History of My Calamities", for celebrity tell-alls, perhaps spurred to do so by Augustine's Confessions.
