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Abstract

Transcendence occupies a central role in the philosophy of Nicholas of Cusa: Without it, his thought would lose its coherence. Yet, how can a concept that has confronted philosophy with seemingly intractable problems serve such a foundational function? The analysis begins from a widely acknowledged thesis: In Nicholas’s thought, transcendence has both an “objective” and a “subjective” dimension. On the “objective” side, Nicholas attempts to articulate the principle-function of transcendence by formulating a series of concepts of God. On the “subjective” side transcendence is understood as that which exceeds the grasp of human cognition. Every search for God culminates in “learned ignorance” (docta ignorantia), Nicholas’s term for our recognition of the limitation of our own (epistemic) capacities. The crucial question is how these two dimensions are related. This question is not of historical interest alone. Its exploration may also help to demonstrate the continuing relevance of Nicholas’s philosophy.