Pierre Abélard et Jean de Salisbury lecteurs d’Augustin

Peter Abelard and John of Salisbury share a similar philosophical attitude that is grounded in three main ideas: philosophy has an ethical and practical aim; philosophy is a search for happiness; this search for happiness has a theological basis. Recent studies on Abelard and Salisbury have shown how important these ideas are in their thoughts and at the same time how much both philosophers are indebted to Augustine. Developing the results of these studies, my contribution aims to develop the following hypothesis: That Salisbury’s theological comprehension of ethics and his meta-philosophy may depend on Abelard’s theses; That Abelard’s and Salisbury’s theological ethics are inspired by Augustine; That an Augustinian interpretation of some theories in Abelard’ and Salisbury’s philosophies allows to better understand their appreciations of the monastic life. I have tried to check these hypotheses by exploring Abelard’ and Salisbury’s ideas concerning the division of Philosophy and the notion of happiness.