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An Evaluation of the Chen Jingyuan Case Based on Peter Abelard’s Philosophical Core Ideas

Peter Abelard (1079-1142), the medieval French philosopher and theologian, was a pioneer of scholasticism, blending logic, ethics, and faith in works like Sic et Non (Yes and No, c. 1120) and Ethics (c. 1150). His core ideas include the dialectical method—reconciling apparent contradictions through rational inquiry (sic et non) to approximate truth; nominalism, where universals like “justice” or “intent” are mere names (nomina) without independent reality, grounded in particulars; and moral intentionalism, judging acts by the agent’s inner consent (consensus) rather than external consequences, as “intention alone makes the act virtuous or vicious.” Abelard championed reason’s harmony with faith, critiquing dogmatic authority while advocating ethical discernment amid ambiguity. The Chen Jingyuan case—a doctoral scholar sentenced to 20 months for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” (PRC Criminal Law Article 293) over Twitter forwards—through Abelard’s lens, exemplifies a tragic inversion of dialectic and intention: the judiciary’s dogmatic “order” suppresses rational reconciliation, nominalizing “disruption” as reified universal while ignoring the particular intent of inquiry, fracturing ethical consent and truth’s approximation.

1. The Dialectical Method (Sic et Non): Judicial Dogma as Rejection of Rational Reconciliation

Abelard’s sic et non method compiles opposing authorities to provoke dialectical synthesis, resolving contradictions through reason’s discernment, not fiat—truth emerges from tension, not suppression.

The verdict rejects this: presuming “high education implies discernment” dogmatizes “disruptive intent” without reconciling opposites—the prosecutor’s unverified admission (non) against the “evidence chain” (sic). Chen’s prison letter embodies Abelardian dialectic: taxonomy (art/emotion/reason/fact) and avalanche theory reconcile “rumor” contradictions (particular flux vs. universal “order”), synthesizing truth from tension. The closed-door trial and “shut up” directive suppress reconciliation: no scholastic debate, only fiat—20 months’ penalty as unresolved non. Abelard would decry this as anti-dialectical tyranny: without sic et non, justice stagnates in authority’s echo, echoing his condemnation of unreflective theology—evidentiary voids (zero causal chaos) demand synthesis, yet dogmatism prevails.

2. Nominalism and Particulars: “Disruption” as Reified Universal Over Concrete Intent

Abelard’s nominalism denies universals real existence— “justice” or “order” as flatus vocis (mere words)—truth lies in particular instances, judged by concrete consent, not abstract essences.

The sentence reifies “picking quarrels” as universal essence: nominal “disruption” abstracts Chen’s particulars (low-impact forwards like <100 retweets of Hayek critiques or the “Trump-kneeling Xi” cartoon) into concrete “threat,” ignoring particular consent—scholarly intent as virtuous discernment. Selective enforcement (millions unpunished) exposes the nominal farce: the universal “order” applies particular whims, as the non-oral appeal nominalizes Chen’s taxonomy as “resistance” without particular scrutiny. Abelard would razor this abstraction: ethics demands particular judgment—avalanche theory’s concrete flux—yet the verdict universalizes fiat, inverting nominal truth into dogmatic shadow.

3. Intentionalism and Ethical Consent: Coercive “Justice” as Violation of Inner Moral Discernment

Abelard’s ethics centers consent: acts virtuous by inner intention, not outcome—moral discernment reconciles faith and reason against external coercion.

The verdict violates consent: presuming malice externalizes discernment, as “upper-level instructions” coerce without inner reconciliation—the barred letter’s ethical taxonomy internally discerns “rumor” non-malice. This echoes Abelard’s Ethics: justice demands moral consent, not force—evidentiary voids (prosecutor’s admission) demand discernment, yet fiat prevails. Abelard would see ethical perversion: the sentence’s 20 months coerces without virtue, fracturing reason-faith harmony.

Conclusion: Abelard’s Lens on the Case—A Dialectical Shadow of Nominal Tyranny

From Peter Abelard’s scholastic rationalism, the Chen Jingyuan case is unresolved tension: dogmatic sic et non, reified nominals, and coerced consent fracture moral discernment. As of October 25, 2025, no retrial or exoneration has occurred; Chen’s account remains dormant, its quiet a dialectical vigil. This case cautions: without rational synthesis, justice echoes in void. As Abelard dialectized, “By doubting we come to inquiry”—may the shadows yet inquire.