Stefan Koslowski: Nikolaus
Cusanus und der Kampf um die Herrschaft in Kirche und Welt. Zu Entstehung und
Perspektiven der drei Bücher „De concordantia catholica“
The three books „De
concordantia catholica“ are deeply rooted in christian neoplatonism. But
how Cusanus interpretated the political implications of the salvation in church
and world showed a flexibility of thought unknown before: For him the conflict
between Pope and Council, between emperor and pope has to be evaluated as a
parallellism of the powers in church and world. On first sight the mandate of
rule is constitutional based and orientated on Aristotle’s Politics. Due
to its true origins, consequently, it refers in fact to the autoritarian
tradition of platonism and legitimated the absolutism in (catholic) church. The
argument was instrumentalized by the arising territorial states in early modern
times.