Abelard's treatment of acting well is less homogeneous than his theory of sin. It involves three distinct facets: a theory of the virtues, a theory of love and an account of merit. The virtues and love are both dispositions to act well, whereas the (less fully developed) discussion of merit concerns particular acts. The classification of the virtues is derived mainly from classical sources; the theory of love combines Christian notions of charity with classical ideas of amicitia; and merit is a distinctively Christian notion. Yet Abelard, though not always explicit about the links he has constructed, succeeds in binding these disparate elements together into an account which coheres with his analysis of sin.

THE VIRTUES

Abelard turned to ancient discussions of the virtues because of the context in which he first began to discuss ethics. Although he touched on ethical questions in his logical works, when occasionally they were raised by a remark in his text, they were of merely passing concern there. It is the Theologia Christiana which contains his first extended treatment of ethical matters. One of Abelard's main aims in revising the Theologia Summi Boni into the Theologia Christiana was to justify his use of testimonies to the Trinity by classical philosophers. Some say, remarks Abelard, that the philosophers cannot be authorities in matters to do with the faith since they are all damned (139: 236–40). The task of the second book of the Theologia Christiana is to answer this charge. Most of it (139: 241 – 184: 1771) is devoted to showing the moral excellence of the ancient Greeks and Romans – philosophers especially, but also other men and women.