The Philosophy of Giambattista Vico

An interpretive exposition of Giambattista Vico's philosophy, presenting a reconstruction of his epistemology and historical theory. Croce follows the development of Vico's critique of Cartesian self-evidence, distinguishes first and second phases of his theory of knowledge, and analyzes the roles of imagination, metaphor, myth, religion, and moral consciousness. He treats law, providence, and the law of reflux, outlines Vico's metaphysics, and proposes new principles for studying early and legendary history, discussing heroic society, primitive poetry and Rome's development through to the Middle Ages, and concludes by assessing Vico's relationship to contemporary and later thought.