Folia Theologica 16. (2005)
Pál Bolberitz: The Beginnings of Hungarian Philosphy (The Reception of Nicholas of Cusa in the work of "De homine" by Peter Monedulatus Csokas Laskoi)
10 P. BOLBERITZ versity level (studium generale)8 in 1480. The theologists of the Franciscan order preferred to St. Bonaventure and Duns Scotus' philosophical thoughts9. The most eminent Franciscan scholastic of this period was Pelbart Temesvári (1435-1504), who graduated in the university of Krakow, and became reputated abroad by publishing his sermons, but with his work elaborating the entire system of theology ("Aureum Sacrae Theologiae Rosarium, 1503-1508), and conducting an investigation following the traces of Duns Scotus and Bonaventure. The scholastical way of thinking and methodology penetrated the Hungarian culture of that time in such an extent, that even the statute-book by István Werbőczy, the famous Opus Tripartitum (1517) reflects this influence.10 Yet not only Scholasticism, but in the first quarter of the 15th century Nominalism, as well was represented in Hungary by a man, casting off the clerical order, graduating in Wien, being a Dominican monk, and whose name is unknown. According to the historians of the Dominican order11 this person, whose name was not defined by them, made the mysteries of Christian faith ridiculous and proclaimed - according to the spirit of the Nominalist Rational8 Nowadays the so called Dominican-court, situated in the Buda castle and composing a bulding-complex with the Hotel Hilton, preserves the remains of this famous college. The studium generale was able to provide an academic degree of magister, the highest degree of education. This college was intended to be developed into university by King Matthias, but after his death the Turkish rule counteracted this plan. Famous tutors held lectures in the college, among them the German Petrus Nigri, who wrote his masterpiece, the famous „Clipeus Thomistarum” in Buda, which was recommended to King Matthias (1481). Nicolaus de Mirabilibus, the court priest of the Hungarian king, Ulászló taught also in this college, who in his disputes and treatises peresented his great philosophical knowledge. 9 The influence of the Franciscan school appears in the ascetic writing „Spectrio delle anime semplici” (The mirror of Simple Souls), translated probably into Italian from Latin, which used to have been fathered on St. Margit Arpadhazi, and which analyses the stages of the access of soul to God on the base St. Bonaventure’s „Itinerarium”. 10 Werbőczy very frequently quoted St. Augustine in the basic questions of the philosophy of law, and adopted the opinion of St. Thomas Aquinatis, and citâtes both of them several times. In accordance with the latter he thinks, that natural law, in its final sources seems to be the source of all the other branches of law, and all rules drawn by man, cannot be enforced neither by the general public convention, or the common law. I I Cp. NIEDER, The History of the Order of Ferraris.
