Plato and the Platonic Tradition in the Philosophy of Nicholas of Cusa

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to present the philosophy of Nicholas of Cusa in relation to the texts of Plato and other authors of the Platonic tradition. I will highlight the Greek philosopher’s importance for one of the earliest and most excellent exponents of German philosophy. In Section 1, I outline Cusanus’ philosophy; in Section 2, I focus on his Platonism. Section 3 explores Cusanus’ Neo-Platonic sources, while Section 4 describes his effect on the German Platonic tradition. Finally, in Section 5, I close with a discussion of Cusanus’ Christian Platonism.