Universum Infinitum

The German cardinal Nicholas of Cusa is mostly known today for his elaborate philosophical work. As one of the first proponents of Renaissance humanism, he was a key figure of the fifteenth century. In contrast to the traditional medieval Aristotelian cosmology he developed the concept of an “Universum Infinitum” (infinite universe). This leads to the innovative question of which epistemological or historical connections can be discerned to connect his writings to the contemporary beginnings of global explorations that culminated in the discovery of the New World(s).
This question was discussed in 2016 during an international workshop at the National Library of Portugal. The interdisciplinary meeting, the results of which are published here, was organized by Thomas Horst (Faculty of Science, University of Lisbon) in close cooperation with Harald Schwaetzer and Matthias Vollet (Kueser Akademie für Europäische Geistesgeschichte, Bernkastel-Kues).

The Editors
Thomas Horst works as a postdoc at the Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, where he studies cosmographical knowledge and transcultural relations (in particular German-Portuguese networks) in the early modern period.

Harald Schwaetzer, Inhaber der Dozentur für Cusanus-Forschung am Institut für Cusanus-Forschung an der Universität und der Theologischen Fakultät Trier (2002-2008), Professor für Philosophie an der Alanus Hochschule (2009-2014), der Cusanus Hochschule (2015-2019) und der Hochschule Biberach (2020-2022), ist gegenwärtig Mitglied der Leitung des „Philosophischen Seminar“, Stuttgart, und hat die akademische Leitung der Kueser Akademie für Europäische Geistesgeschichte inne.

Matthias Vollet works as Geschäftsführer at the Kueser Akademie für Europäische Geistesgeschichte and teaches Philosophy at the Philosophisches Seminar of the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz. His main interests are the thinking of Nicholas of Cusa and of Henri Bergson.