Abelard was a 12th century French philosopher and theologian who is best known for his love affair with Heloise, a brilliant scholar in her own right. He was a proponent of scholasticism, a philosophical and theological school of thought that sought to reconcile faith and reason. His teachings were considered heretical by the Church and he was eventually excommunicated. Abelard and Heloise's love story has become legendary, and their letters to each other are some of the most famous examples of medieval Latin literature. The Latin phrase 'SIC et non' (yes and no) is attributed to Abelard, and is a reference to his approach to reconciling faith and reason.