John of Salisbury

Lore & Background

John of Salisbury was born at Salisbury, England, of Anglo-Saxon rather than Norman extraction, a clerk from a modest background whose career depended on his education. When Abelard withdrew, John studied under Master Alberic and Robert of Melun. It is conjectured that while there he was introduced by St. Bernard of Clairvaux to Archbishop Theobald, whose secretary he became.

Reader's Guide

John of Salisbury's significance lies in his role as a chronicler and critic of 12th-century intellectual and political life. His Policraticus sheds light on the decadence of court manners and the lax morals of royalty, while the Metalogicon defends the trivium as essential to human nature and well-being. He first coined the term 'theatrum mundi', a notion that influences the theater several centuries later. His writings are invaluable for clarifying the literary and scientific position of 12th-century Western Europe. He was a follower of the Ciceronian perspective, holding a view of moderate skepticism that allowed for knowledge based on faith, reason, and the senses. He detested Epicureanism and the philosophies of Cornificius and his followers, but believed philosophy was essential to human health and mental well-being. His view that the end of education was moral, rather than merely intellectual, became one of the prime educational doctrines of Western civilization, sharing more in common with monastic education and Renaissance humanism. Many of his works were not valued during his time and survived only because they were copied into manuscripts containing more popular works.

Did You Know?

• John of Salisbury described himself as Johannes Parvus, meaning 'John the Little'.
• He first coined the term 'theatrum mundi' in his Policraticus.
• The idea of contemporaries 'standing on the shoulders of giants' of Antiquity first appears in written form in his Metalogicon.