The First New Science gives a clear account of the basic theme of Vice’s mature philosophy: the belief that functions which are necessary for the maintenance of human society and culture-including philosophy-are also historically conditioning Vico challenges the traditional view that philosophy can claim anhistorically independent viewpoint from which to make its pronouncements, thus raising the question whether viable philosophical theories can ever be more than an intellectual expression of the underlying beliefs of an age, The First New Science is the first of Vico’s works in which he was able, by writing in Italian, both to expound and to demonstrate his conception of the philosophical importanceof etymology. This Cambridge Texts edition is the first complete English translation

of the 1725text.Accompanied by a glossary,bibliography,

chronology of Vico’s life and expository introduction, it makes this important work accessible to students for the first time.

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chronology

Editor’s note

Bibliographical note

Glossary

The First New Science

Idea of the Work

BOOK 1 THE NECESSITY OF THE END AND THE DIFFICULTY OF THE MEANS OF DISCOVERING A NEW SCIENCE

I Reasons for our meditation on this work

II Meditation on a New Science

III The defect of such a Science if based upon the Maxims of the Epicureans and Stoics of the practices advocated by Plato

IV This Science is meditated on the Basis of the Roman jurisconsults’idea of the natural law of the gentes

V The defect of such a Science if based upon the systems of Grotius,Selden or Pufendorf

VI Reasons why this Science has hitherto been lacking among the philosophers and philologists

VII The necessity,both human and doctrinal,that the origins of this Science be derived from sacred history

VIII The difficulty of discovering the progress or continuity [proper to this Science]

IX [The difficulty of discovering the origins of humanity] from the philosophers

X [The difficulty of discovering the origins of humanity]from thephilologists

XI The necessity to seek the principles of the nature of nations by means of a metaphysics raised to contemplate a certain common mind of all the peoples

XII On the idea of a jurisprudence of mankind

XIII The severe difficulties of discovering [the mode of men’s first ideas]

BOOK II THE PRINCIPLES OF THIS SCIENCE CONCERNING IDEAS

[Introduction]

I The first principle of the nations is Providence

II The rule of the world of nations is vulgar wisdom

III The artificer of the world of nations is human will Regulated by vulgar wisdom

IV The natural order of human ideas of an eternal justice

v The natural order of human ideas of a universal justice

VI The natural order of gentile human ideas of divinity through which, depending upon whether tyey have been kept distinct or Communication with one another

VII The natural order of ideas concerning the law of thenations[asit proceeds]through their own religions, laws, languages,marriages, names, arms and governments

Corollary A practical test comparing [the results of] our reasoned principles with the vulgar tradition that the Law of the Twelve Tables came from Athens

……

[Introduction]

[Introduction] The order of development of the subject matter through which a philosophy of humanity and a universal history of the nations are formed at one and the same time

CONCLUSION OF THE WORK

INDEX

Index