Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Nicholas of Cusa

  • Reference work entry
Encyclopedia of Medieval Philosophy

  • 98 Accesses

Abstract

Nicholas of Cusa produced, in De concordantia catholica, a synthesis of medieval ideas on hierarchy, representation, consent, and reform. He later gave up support for the Council of Basel (1431–1449) for loyalty to the pope, but without abandoning his interest in reform. His unique metaphysical ideas, especially “learned ignorance,” were developed after Cusanus left Basel; and they continued being refined until he died in 1464.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Bibliography

Primary Sources

  • Bond H Lawrence (ed) (2002) Nicholas of Cusa: selected spiritual writings (Classics of western spirituality) Paulist, Mahwah

    Google Scholar 

  • Hopkins Jasper (ed) (2001) Complete philosophical and theological treatises of Nicholas of Cusa, 2 vols. Banning, Minneapolis

    Google Scholar 

  • Izbicki Thomas M (ed) (2008) Nicholas of Cusa, writings on church and reform. Harvard University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Sigmund Paul E (ed) (1991) The catholic concordance. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

Secondary Sources

  • Alberigo G (1981) Chiesa conciliare: identità e significato del conciliarismo. Paideia, Brescia

    Google Scholar 

  • Bellitto C (ed) (2004) Introducing Nicholas of Cusa: A guide to a Renaissance man. Paulist, Mahwah

    Google Scholar 

  • Christianson G (1979) Cesarini: The conciliar cardinal – the basel years, 1431–1438. EOS, St. Ottilien

    Google Scholar 

  • Izbicki TM (1993) The church in the light of learned ignorance. Mediev Philos Theol 3:196–214

    Google Scholar 

  • Izbicki TM (2006) Representation in Nicholas of Cusa. In: Faggioli M, Melloni A (eds) Repraesentatio: mapping a keyword for churches and governance. Proceedings of the San Miniato international workshop, October 13–16, 2004. Lit, Münster, pp 61–78

    Google Scholar 

  • Oakley F (2003) The conciliarist tradition: constitutionalism in the Catholic Church 1300–1870. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Sigmund P (1963) Nicholas of Cusa and medieval political thought. Harvard University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Tierney B (1998) Foundations of the conciliar theory: the contribution of the medieval canonists from Gratian to the Great Schism. Brill, Leiden

    Google Scholar 

  • Watanabe M (1963) The political ideas of Nicholas of Cusa, with special reference to his De concordantia catholica. Droz, Genève

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alexander Library, Rutgers State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

    Thomas M. Izbicki

Authors
  1. Thomas M. Izbicki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada

    Henrik Lagerlund

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this entry

Cite this entry

Izbicki, T.M. (2011). Nicholas of Cusa. In: Lagerlund, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Medieval Philosophy. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9729-4_355

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9729-4_355

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-9728-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-9729-4

  • eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation