Andrea Fiamma

Il presente articolo mira a ricostruire la formazione intellettuale di Nicola Cusano negli anni 1425-1432. Nonostante la scarsità di fonti oggi a disposizione per quel periodo, l’autore raccoglie numerose informazioni in merito alle istituzioni universitarie ed ecclesiastiche frequentate da Cusano e alle sue amicizie. Nello specifico, l’articolo affronta la questione del rapporto di Cusano con Eimerico da Campo e avanza alcune ipotesi in merito ad un coinvolgimento di Cusano nelle attività accademiche della Bursa Laurentiana dell’Università di Colonia. Il binomio Cusano-Eimerico viene inoltre utilizzato come chiave interpretativa per comprendere alcuni momenti ancora oscuri della biografia di Cusano, quali il rifiuto della cattedra presso l’Università di Lovanio nel 1435 e il dibattito con Johannes Wenck avvenuto tra il 1442 e il 1449.

Nicholas of Cusa in De staticis experimentis presents his perspective on the human knowledge of the world through the concept of measurement. Cusanus thinks that humans can measure the world, because the world is constituted by the trinitarian structure “pondus”, “numerus” and “mensura”: an ontological perspective that is also seen in the biblical book of Wisdom 11:21. For this reason in De staticis experimentis Cusanus tries to measure the world through numbers and weights and using a balance. Academic research on Cusanus has identified Augustine of Hippo as the source of this epistemology. In this paper, we will try to ask if Augustine of Hippo should indeed be recognized as a correct source.

During 2014, the International Cusanus Society commemorated the 550th anniversary of the death of Nicholas of Cusa (1464-2014). Various conferences and events were organized to celebrate the intellectual heritage of the cardinal from Cues, as well as to showcase the results of the latest international research on his philosophical, theological, mathematical and political thought. This contribution offers an overview of these events with the aim of capturing the status quaestionis of current international research on Cusanus and to indicate the most intriguing philosophical questions that could characterize the debate over the next few years.