Giambattista Vico
Italian philosopher of history whose New Science proposed that human beings can understand history because they made it. He argued against Descartes that the humanities require their own methods distinct from natural science. His theory of historical cycles (corso e ricorso) anticipated 19th-century historicism.
Works
- New ScienceRevolutionary history claiming humans make history through language and culture
- On the Study Methods of Our TimeEssays on pedagogy and the value of classical versus modern learning
- On the Most Ancient Wisdom of the ItaliansPhilosophy of ancient Italian wisdom and metaphysics predating Homer
- The Autobiography of Giambattista VicoVico's intellectual autobiography and development of his historical philosophy