Abstract

The article is about a theme in part neglected in part controversial of the interpretation of sources of Nicholas of Cusa thought: the platonic work and more specifically the dialogue Parmenides. The author examines the whole Cusanus’ work, annotations to platonic work included. In particular the article underlines a platonic presence in Nicholas of Cusa thought, directly come from the reading of Parmenides. Later the author focalizes his attention on Nicholas of Cusa dialogue de non aliud, getting to argue the thesis that Cusanus had directly known different platonic dialogues and in specific the Parmenides and he deeply understood it, however he followed mostly Proclus’ interpretation of dialogue and platonic thought. In the second part, the article reconstructs the critics that Nicholas of Cusa moves to Plato, specifically when he ascribes to God a way of acting by necessity and not beeing able to catch the trinity of the One. The author proves philologically and speculatively how Nicholas of Cusa elaborates his own conception of the One by a critique dialogue with Plato and Proclus’ positions, making an original afterthought of the neoplatonic tradition. The core of Nicholas of Cusa conception is the idea of the One or God as freedom, freedom thought as the essence, not a mere divine attribute. Nicholas of Cusa elaborates his own freedom of the One conception by a double dimension: related to both world’s creation and trinitarian genesis of Himself. In the Nicholas of Cusa vision, Trinity and freedom contribute to define the essence itself of the One, even though Cusanus does not never forget the Deus absconditus is transcendent than itself Deus revelatus. Accord to Cusanus God as infinite is beyond One itself and Trinity itself.