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)

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P. BOLBERITZ

In chapter XII of "De homine" - examining the likeness of human soul to the Divine - our author quotes from Cusanus the sixth chapter of Volume I of "De beryllo", where Nicolaus Cusanus says the following about man's similarity to the Divine: "Pay attention to Hermes Trismegistos, who says that human being is a creature according to God (homo esse secundum Deum): As God is the creator of every actually existing and natural form, so man seems to be the producer of rational entities (rationalium entium) and artificial forms. It cannot be fulfilled otherwise, than by his rational mind (intellectus) he is similar to God, as God's creature, since he posseses resemblance to the Divine intelligence. So human being has rational mind, which is the image of the Divine intelligence, and it becomes apparent just during the man's creating activity (in creando)." (Translated by the author)51 Laskoi hereby quotes Cusanus in order to support his opinion, which he puts as it follows: "If the enlivening soul is explicitely an archetype of the likeness to the Divine, then it is capable to demonstrate God' s presence in human being in a distinguished way. As a consequence of it, spiritual soul in its nature rejects any heaviness and materiality." (Translated by the author)52 That is Laskoi - in accordance with Cusanus - the spiritual nature of human soul derives from its likeness to the Divine. Laskoi in the twelfth chapter of his Book I, presents a detailed survey about the question what way soul is created, whether a material or a spiritual cause is involved in its creation. His conception is clear: since soul is of spiritual nature, its establishing principle is spiritual, too, that is, it is God, who plants the rational soul into the body of the newly born childs, which has already been shaped in the womb." (Translated by the author)53 (N. B.

51 LASCOVIUS, „De homine”, Lib. I. cap. 8. p. 129. „Cusanus Tom I. de Berylo cap. 6. ita Dei similtudinem explicat: Adverte, inquit, Hermetem Trismegistum dicere, hominem esse secundum Deum: Nam sicuti Deus est creator omnium entium realium et naturalium formarum, ita homo ratinalium entium, et formarum artificialium, quae non nisi intellectus eius similitudinis sunt sicut creatura Dei, divini intellectus similitudines. Ideo homo habet intellectum, qui est similitudo divini intellectus in creando.”

52 LASCOVIUS, „De homine”, Lib. I. cap. 8. p. 129. Lib. 1. cap. 8. 129. „Si itaque anima ad vivum expressa Archetypi imago est. Deumque egregie refert et repraesentat: Consequitur necessario út ab omni corporea mole et materia sit remota.”