The Story My Misfortunes Analysis

The Story My Misfortunes recounts a path of transformation in the methods and design of learning in the Middle Ages. At that time, the process of studying took place in the Carolingian Cathedral Schools, which came after the classical institutions to serve the purpose of preparing specialized people to take up positions that entailed performing state and church functionaries. However, the methods of teaching were quite suppressing to the students Abelard describes the lecturing of cathedral teachers as having sank into negligent reasoning such that it could scarce be called lecturing on the science of dialectics. Educators were always to be presumed as being correct and could not be questioned. The cathedral master who oversaw the whole duties …show more content…
and to which he was a figurehead. He was discontent with taking up an inactive role in learning. Being suppressed not to exercise his wit was doing a disservice to his curiosity to contribute in making up a body of philosophical knowledge. Describing William, his teacher, he states, "Those who asked him questions held him as naught ' ' (Lualdi 212). He portrays a picture where the new mode of learning practiced by Abelard was drawing more interest and stripping the cathedral schools of attendees. To this effect, he writes that, “my teaching won such strength and authority that even those who before had clung most vehemently to my former master, and most bitterly attacked my doctrines, now flocked to my school” (Lualdi 212). He contrasts this with William 's style by saying that he had a miraculous now of words, but they were contemptible and quite void of reason. The rivalry by Abelard undermined William who withdrew himself and his brotherhood, together with his students to a certain place far distant from the city. The cathedral schools and their teachers were starting to yield to the fact that they cannot keep up the competition. Professors with their new methods were effectively taking over and bringing about a new dispensation in higher education, which was found on new teaching …show more content…
Teachers in the cathedral schools had been accustomed to being impervious to being questioned over their opinions. The account notes that "if anyone came to him (teacher) impelled by doubt on any subject, he went away more doubtful still" (Lualdi 213). Abelard sought for teaching that appealed to reason. He notes that students were seeking for rational and philosophical explanations, asking rather for reasons they could understand than for mere words which the intellect could follow. He had an answer in his methods that were "analyzing the basis of our faith through illustrations based on human understanding” (Lualdi 214). The fact that Abelard was leading students into questioning dogmas and deriding the authority of cathedral masters threatened the position of other scholars. As a result, they were opposed to the new methods and sought to undermine Abelard 's approach and his