Cusanus on the Doctrine of the Image of God: Human Mind as the Living Image, Equality and Identity in Difference

Öz

The relationship between God and humans has been a matter of controversy that interests both philosophers and theologians alike. Establishing a relationship between the infinite God and finite human is particularly challenging if one admits that God and humans are substantially different from each other. The biblical doctrine of the image of God responds to this challenge by stating that the relationship between God and humans is a kind of likeness or assimilation. This doctrine does not only establish the nature of the relationship between God and humans but also views both God's and humans’ nature in a particular way and determines humans’ purpose and distinguishing feature in relation to God. While there is a very long and extensive tradition focusing on identifying the similarities and differences between God and humans to determine the precise relationship between them in light of this doctrine, this paper will focus on Nicolaus Cusanus' original contribution to this long-lasting debate. In order to emphasize Cusanus' differences from his predecessors, I will present a general historical background of the doctrine of the image of God. In particular, I will point out the main tenets of Greek and Latin patristic traditions by identifying their differences and shared assumptions. Additionally, I will briefly present Augustine's dynamic account of the image of God, which holds an important place both in the discussion among these traditions and in the development of Cusanus' doctrine of the human mind as the living image of God. As this paper will demonstrate, Cusanus improves upon Augustine's account by allowing humans to be considered as an equal image of God, which was attributed only to Jesus by Augustine. Cusanus thinks that the human mind can be considered equal to the divine mind because it demonstrates characteristics of free creative activity and being the cause of something from nothing in cognition. Moreover, to elaborate Cusanus' original contribution to this debate, I will explain how the human mind reflects the triadic nature of divine mind in itself through its cognitive activity by giving a detailed account of Cusanus’ theory of cognition as assimilation. This explanation will also show how reading Cusanus' theory of cognition as assimilation alongside the concept of equality exhibits the principle of ‘identity in difference’ in both the nature of the human mind and its relationship with the divine mind.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Philosophy of Religion
• Image of God
• Human Mind
• Living image
• Assimilation
• Cognition
• Equality
• Identity in difference

Cusanus’ta Tanrı’nın Sureti Öğretisi: Canlı Suret olarak İnsan Zihni, Eşitlik ve Ayrımda Özdeşlik

Öz

Tanrı ve insan arasındaki ilişki, hem filozofların hem de teologların üzerinde durduğu önemli tartışma konularından birisidir. Bu tartışma içerisinde, Tanrı ve insanın tözsel olarak birbirinden farklı olduğunu kabul edersek, sonsuz olan Tanrı ile sonlu olan insan arasında bir ilişki kurmak zorlaşmaktadır. Kitab-ı Mukaddes’e dayanan Tanrı'nın sureti doktrini, Tanrı ve insanlar arasındaki ilişkinin bir tür benzerlik veya benzeşim olduğunu belirtmekle bu probleme bir yanıt sunmaktadır. Bu doktrin, Tanrı ve insan arasındaki ilişkinin doğasını tanımlamakla kalmaz, aynı zamanda hem Tanrı'nın hem de insanın doğasını belirli bir bağlamda değerlendirir ve insanın Tanrı ile olan ilişkisinde amacının yanı sıra ayırt edici yanına da işaret eder. Bu doktrin ışığında, Tanrı ve insanlar arasındaki ilişkiyi tanımlamak için aradaki benzerlikleri ve farklılıkları ortaya koymaya odaklanan kadim ve kapsamlı bir gelenek olmakla birlikte, bu makale Nicolaus Cusanus'un bu uzun soluklu tartışmaya yaptığı özgün katkıya odaklanacaktır. Bu bağlamda ilk olarak Cusanus'un seleflerinden farkını vurgulamak için, Tanrı'nın sureti doktrininin genel tarihsel arka planını sunacağım. Özellikle, Yunan ve Latin patristik geleneklerinin ana ilkelerini, farklılıklarını ve ortak varsayımlarını göstereceğim. Buna ek olarak hem söz konusu gelenekler arasındaki tartışmada hem de Cusanus’un Tanrı’nın canlı sureti olarak insan zihni öğretisinin gelişmesinde önemli bir yere sahip Augustinus’un dinamik Tanrı’nın sureti açıklamasına kısaca değineceğim. Bu makalede gösterileceği üzere, Cusanus insanların da Tanrı’nın eşit sureti olarak kabul edilebileceğini ileri sürmekle, bu özelliği yalnızca İsa’ya atfeden Augustinus’un suret öğretisini genişletmiştir. Cusanus bilişte özgür yaratıcı etkinlik ve yoktan bir şeyin nedeni olma özelliklerini gösterdiği için insan zihninin ilahi zihne eşit görülebileceğini düşünür. Tanrı’nın sureti tartışmasında Cusanus’un özgünlüğünü ortaya koyarken, ayrıca Cusanus’un benzeşim olarak biliş öğretisini detaylandırarak, insan zihninin bilme etkinliği aracılığıyla tanrısal zihnin üçlü doğasını nasıl yansıttığını açıklayacağım. Bu açıklama aynı zamanda, Cusanus'un benzeşim olarak biliş anlayışının eşitlik kavramıyla yeniden okunmasının, hem insan zihninin doğasında hem de onun ilahi zihinle ilişkisinde ‘ayrımda özdeşlik’ ilkesini nasıl sergilediğini gösterecektir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Din Felsefesi
• Tanrı’nın Sureti
• İnsan Zihni
• Canlı Suret
• Benzeşim
• Biliş
• Eşitlik
• Ayrımda Özdeşlik

Kaynakça

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