From the Temporal to the Eternal:
The Normative Philosophy of Anselm of Canterbury

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the extent to which Anselm of Canterbury can be described to have possessed a consistent normative philosophy which coherently addressed the question of how the individual ought to act. By so doing it will seek to extend the contemporary commentary of Anselm’s ethical philosophy beyond the abstract and meta-ethical and analyse the ways in which Anselm’s letter collection can be used to show pragmatic approaches to ethical questions. In examining this field, this thesis contains what amounts to two interdependent parts. The first will deal almost exclusively with Anselm’s anthropology, theory of will, and ethical philosophy. The second will, broadly speaking, examine the impact of his theology and ethical philosophy upon his societal and political beliefs. This will by no means amount to an exhaustive study of Anselm’s normative thought; rather, it will provide key examples of how such an approach opens up new lines of research and furthers the field of Anselm studies, addressing several past issues of contention.