Summary
This text is not a work by Henri Moissan but rather a collection of passages from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, including entries on Abelard and the philosophical terms "a priori" and "a posteriori." The central argument of the entry on Abelard is that his primary historical importance lies in fixing the scholastic method of philosophizing—giving formally rational expression to church doctrine—and in preparing the ascendancy of Aristotle's philosophical authority in the Middle Ages. The entry on "a priori" argues that the controversy between intuitionalist and empiricist schools is largely based on cross-purposes, because knowledge involves both particulars and laws or causes, which work in complementary spheres. A reader learns that a priori arguments proceed from law or cause to effect, while a posteriori arguments go from effect to cause, and that all empirical knowledge contains an intellectual element without which data cannot be correlated.
Key concepts
- Notiora nobis / notiora naturae — The Scholastic distinction between what is known first to us (particular facts of experience) and what is first in the order of nature (fundamental truths or causes).
- Synthetic Judgment a priori — Kant's concept of a judgment that is both independent of experience and yet adds new information, not merely analyzing existing concepts.
- Intuitionalist — A philosopher who holds that knowledge includes a priori elements independent of experience, as opposed to an Empiricist.
- Empiricist — A philosopher who holds that all knowledge is derived from particular observations, denying the intellectual element in scientific knowledge.
- Sic et Non — Abelard's theological work assembling opposite opinions from the Church Fathers on doctrinal points, without attempting to reconcile them, as a basis for discussion.
- Scito te ipsum — Abelard's ethical treatise, meaning "Know Thyself," which was the only one of his strictly philosophical works published before the 19th century.
From the book
For other versions of this work, see Encyclopædia Britannica . ← 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica ( 1911 ) Title page → related portals : Reference Works Shortcut : EB11 or EB1911 Notes on reading the Wikisource edition . A special disclaimer for this project . Collaboration page for contributors . 12543 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica 1911 Table of contents This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1931. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works . Public domain Public domain false false← Alabama 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica , Volume 1 "Alabama" Arbitration by Montague Hughes Crackanthorpe Alabama River → See also Alabama Claims on…
He is commonly known as Rab.← Abbadie, Jakob 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica , Volume 1 'Abbahu Abba Mari → See also Abbahu on Wikipedia ; and our 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica disclaimer . 12925 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica , Volume 1 — 'Abbahu ʼABBAHU, the name of a Palestinian ʼamora ( q.v. ) who flourished c . 279–320. ʼAbbahu encouraged the study of Greek by Jews. He was famous as a collector of traditional lore, and is very often cited in the Talmud.
He was author of Quaestiones ( Sheiltoth ), a collection of homilies (at once learned and popular) on Jewish law and ethics. This is recorded to have been the first work written by a Jewish scholar after the completion of the Talmud.← Alphabet 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica , Volume 1 'Al-phasi, Isaac Alphege, Saint → See also Isaac Alfasi on Wikipedia ; and our 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica disclaimer . 1202415 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica , Volume 1 — 'Al-phasi, Isaac ’AL-PHASI, ISAAC (1013–1103), Jewish rabbi and codifier, known as Riph , was born near Fez in 1013 and died at Lucena in 1103. ’Al-Phasi means the “man of Fez” (medieval Jews were often named after their birthplaces). He was forced to leave Fez when an old man of 75, being accused on some unknown political charge. He then…
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