Abstract

This article provides an Anselmian interpretation of the theme of the congress, Pleasures of Knowledge. First, it shows the practical character of Anselm’s epistemology, according to his dialogue De veritate: cognition is conceived as a process characterised by an internal normative claim – called rectitudo – on the one hand, and practical acts supposed to meet this claim on the other hand. Secondly, the same structure is analysed in Anselm’s ethics especially in his soteriological work Cur deus homo, which serves as a link to connect the emotional mood of the Orationes sive Meditationes with the former considerations on epistemology. Thus, it is shown that emotions play a significant systematic role in Anselmian thought.