Nicholas of Cuse, “De sapientia”: A New Concept of Wisdom in the light of Medieval Tradition

  • Claudia D'Amico Centro de Estudios de Filosofía Medieval, Universidad de Buenos Aires
Keywords: Neoplatonism, Epistemology, Wisdom, Mensura, Docta ignorantia

Abstract

Following the traditional notion of Wisdom as the Word of God, Nicholas of Cuse proposes in De sapientia a human wisdom whose condition is scientia ignorationis and its starting point is reality considered as explicatio dei. The idiot –the archetype of a wise man– affirms the possibility of passing from multiplicity to his “mensurae” or explanatory principles that offer us a partial cognitive apprehension of reality. The “transference” to the Infinite of these principles will lead, although through a conjectural path, to what is the Mensura or absolute Complicatio. Finally, the “transference” from geometry to theology gives an approximate image of the unknown God-world relationship. This paper highlights the Cusanus formulation of some notions related to medieval Neoplatonism from the point of view of the theory of knowledge.

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Published
1992-07-01
How to Cite
D’Amico, C. (1992). Nicholas of Cuse, “De sapientia”: A New Concept of Wisdom in the light of Medieval Tradition. Patristica Et Mediævalia, 13, 107-119. Retrieved from http://revistascientificas.filo.uba.ar/index.php/petm/article/view/8763
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