Description
Book SynopsisThis book demonstrates the influence that the philosophical and theological anthropology of Saint Thomas Aquinas had on Nicholas of Cusa's (Cusanus) view of human nature. While Rudolf Haubst suggested that Aquinas had, in fact, influenced several factors of Cusanus' theology, Haubst did not explore the topic of anthropology. Since the philosophy of man is supposed to be one of the determining characteristics of the Renaissance, and because there is a prevailing opinion that Cusanus was not only a Renaissance philosopher but indeed one of the founders of Renaissance humanism, I demonstrate that his view of the place of man in the universe is remarkably similar to the view of Aquinas. A close examination of the texts of both thinkers when compared to some of the leading Renaissance writers indicates that it is not entirely true that Cusanus is Renaissance in his analysis of the human condition. Because Cusanus' copies of some of the works of Aquinas are still intact and his marginal comm
Trade ReviewOne of the many merits of this handy book lies in its general perspective on Cusanus. Without playing down the differences between philosophy and theology, Führer integrates philosophical, theological, and even religious aspects into his analysis. . . .Führer’s is a thorough and important study of Cusanus’s anthropology in its own right. Furthermore, it is a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate on Cusanus’s reliance on scholasticism and, on a larger scale, to the transformation of medieval into early modern thought. * Speculum *
It is possible to conduct a study of Cusanus’s use of Aquinas based directly on the text of Aquinas. The result is a remarkable analysis which enriches not only specialists of late medieval philosophy and theology, but is also recommendable for those who are generally interested in medieval anthropology. * Bochumer Philosophisches: Jahrbuch für Antike und Mittelalter *
Echoes of Aquinas in Cusanus’s Vision of Man represents the first and only monograph dedicated to the relation of two main thinkers of medieval philosophy and theology. The author not only has detailed knowledge about the doctrines of Aquinas and Cusanus but is also able to present them in a clear and convincing manner. The result is a remarkable analysis which enriches specialists, but is also recommendable for larger audiences interested in medieval anthropology. -- Isabella Mandrella, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität
Markus Führer’s latest book on Nicholas of Cusa fulfils with aplomb what it promises: it presents Cusanus’s original concept of man and its relation to the philosophical and theological anthropology of Thomas Aquinas, showing in detail the great affinity between the two thinkers. The study represents an essential contribution on a key element in the thought of Nicholas of Cusa, a major desideratum in international Cusanus research. -- Henryk Anzulewicz, Albertus-Magnus-Institut
Table of ContentsI. The Nature of Man and his Spiritual Destiny II. The Human Individual III. The Unity of Man’s Soul IV. The Sensible-Corporeal Subordination of the Mind V. Mind–Soul-Body VI. The Rejection of Monopsychism and the Immortality of the Human Mind VII. The Potentiality of the Human Mind as Possibility of Being and Willing All Things VIII.Conclusions
