Nothingness and darkness as a topos for knowledge and existence by Fridugisus of Tours Cover Image
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Нищото и мрака като топоси на знанието и съществуването при Фредегизий от Тур
Nothingness and darkness as a topos for knowledge and existence by Fridugisus of Tours

Author(s): Martin Andreev
Subject(s): Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Philosophy of Middle Ages
Published by: Издателство »Изток-Запад«
Keywords: nothingness; light, dark; day-light; night-darkness; topos

Summary/Abstract: Fridugisus of Tours was a monk, a favourite of his teacher Alcuin, with a strong inclination for writing on the topic of nothingness and darkness. His most profound work is the treatise ‘On the Being of Nothing and Shadows’, addressed to ‘to all the faithful of God and of our most fair lord Charles’. When creating the piece, he took into consideration the divine authority and the consciousness of philosophical and theological germane problems. Fridugisus underlined the topic of light and dark by bringing the problem of the existence of nothingness to the front. To do so, he used negation to determine that by not allowing something to stand as an essence in it itself it cannot be perceived, hence it still can be seen as non-existent, thus this proves its existence. In doing this, it is now impossible to endow the term ‘nothing’ with naught. He reiterates on the primary state of existence which is the divine authority and the beginning of consciousness, rooted in the divine authority, so making the divine impervious to reason. In regards to darkness, the monk claims that whatever can be touched and felt has to exist and so he focuses on the 9th of the Egyptian plagues. By doing so, he tries to affirm that the state of being by necessity is futile. To amalgamate the two problems, Fridugisus asserts that if God gave the night its name and its importance, then the light has the same importance as the opposition. If the association day-light and night-darkness are, then God named them not only as titles but also as means of recognising their existence. And so light cannot be without dark.

  • Issue Year: 2022
  • Issue No: 28
  • Page Range: 58-62
  • Page Count: 5
  • Language: Bulgarian