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Demetrios Kydones

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Encyclopedia of Medieval Philosophy

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Abstract

Demetrios Kydones (c. 1324 Thessaloniki to c. 1398 Crete), also spelled Demetrius Cydones, is a key figure in the intellectual and political life of Byzantium in the fourteenth century. Demetrios’ greatest contribution is perhaps the intellectual challenge he poses to Byzantine conceit, as regards the cultural and spiritual achievements of the West. His translations of Latin theological texts as well as literary works indicate that the West was well aware of the Greek heritage, which the Byzantines considered as their prized national possession. The depth and clarity of thought, pertaining to Western theology, put to test the dogmas, deeply engrained in Byzantium. Thus, Demetrios turns out to be one of those who stimulated an intense theological controversy, in the course of which Byzantine thought had to contend its identity against western Scholasticism. In his philosophical views, he is far from original. Just like his brother Prochoros Kydones, he supports Thomism, juxtaposing Christian Aristotelianism to the Neoplatonic aspects in the teaching of Gregory Palamas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Theology, University of Sofia, 19 Sveta Nedelya Sq, 1000, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Ivan Christov

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  1. Ivan Christov
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Correspondence to Ivan Christov .

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  1. London, Ontario, Canada

    Henrik Lagerlund

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Christov, I. (2017). Demetrios Kydones. In: Lagerlund, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Medieval Philosophy. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1151-5_140-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1151-5_140-2

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