Nicholas of Cusa Quotes on Life
Nicholas of Cusa was a German cardinal, philosopher, and mathematician at the threshold between the medieval and Renaissance worlds. This page collects quotes attributed to Nicholas of Cusa on the topic of life, drawn from across the philosopher's works.
Quotes
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“Life, as it exists on Earth in the form of men, animals and plants, is to be found, let us suppose in a high form in the solar and stellar regions. Rather than think that so many stars and parts of the heavens are uninhabited and that this earth of ours alone is peopled – and that with beings perhaps of an inferior type – we will suppose that in every region there are inhabitants, differing in nature by rank and all owing their origin to God, who is the center and circumference of all stellar regions”
De docta ignorantia -
“I am a -living shadow and Thou the Truth... Therefore, my God, Thou art alike shadow and Truth; Thou art alike the image and the Exemplar of myself and all men.”
De Docta Ignorantia(On Learned Ignorance) (1440) -
“For a persistent and continued ascent to [the Principle and Source of] life is the constituent element of increased happiness.”
De Docta Ignorantia(On Learned Ignorance) (1440) -
“All men strive and hope for nothing other than eternal life in their human nature. For this they instituted purgations of souls and sacred rites, in order to be better adapted in their nature to that eternal life.”
De Pace Fidei(The Peace of Faith) (1453)