William of Champeaux definition of William of Champeaux in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

William of Champeaux (shămpō`, shäNpō`), c.1070–1121, French scholastic philosopher. William studied and taught in Paris. In 1109 he founded the monastic school of St. Victor, which later became famous. From 1113 until his death he was bishop of Châlons-en-Champagne. Although very little of his writings has survived, William is known for his role in the dispute over the nature of universals in the Middle Ages (see realism realism, in philosophy.

1 In medieval philosophy realism represented a position taken on the problem of universals . There were two schools of realism.
..... Click the link for more information. ). An extreme realist, he was forced to change his views after being overcome in a disputation with his pupil Peter Abelard Heloise, d. c.1164, the learned niece of Fulbert, canon of Notre Dame, who had hired Abelard as her tutor.

After Heloise bore a son, a secret marriage was held to appease her uncle.
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