Abstract

This dissertation examines the nature and ethical implications of the relationship between God and the world for Nicholas of Cusa. For Cusa the diversity and plurality of being culminates not in separation and alienation but in a single unified and integrated whole. This insight could be expected to shed new light on the ethical realms as a whole, illuminating man's relationship to the natural world, his fellow-men and even his own self-concept. This dissertation attempts to achieve a more precise understanding of the metaphysical principles on which Cusa's thought is centered, with a view to bringing to light the basis they provide for Cusa's ethical considerations. ;This dissertation begins by setting the concept of unity in its historical context and outlining the manner in which this dissertation proceeds. The second chapter inquires into the dynamic nature of being and unity. The third chapter examines Cusa's ideas on absolute unity as a coincidence of opposites and how it is possible to attain some knowledge of such a being. The next chapter traces the unfolding of finite reality from divine unity. The fifth chapter specifically discusses the ethical implications which are entailed by the unfolding of reality from the divine. The concluding chapter discusses how unity was a shaping force in Cusa's thought and how Cusa contributed to the traditional concept of reality in terms of directedness, dynamism, cohesiveness and a new understanding of the relationships it contains. It discusses also the ethical implications of these in both the public and private realms. ;The contribution and originality of this dissertation lies in its drawing an explicit connection between Cusa's metaphysical and ethical thought. Cusa scholarship has, by a large, ignored Cusa's ethical concerns despite the fact that his serious attempts at church reform reveal a clear interest in this direction. Upon examination it can be seen how Cusa's understanding of the coincidence of opposites clearly effected his ideas of social cohesion and individual freedom in ways which are of great potential significance for our times