Vico's New Science of the Intersubjective World by Vittorio Hösle

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Reviewed by: Vico's New Science of the Intersubjective World by Vittorio Hösle Antonio Cercena Vittorio Hösle, Vico's New Science of the Intersubjective World, trans. Francis R. Hittinger IV ( Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press 2016) xvi + 226 pp. I found Francis R. Hittinger's translation of Vittorio Hösle's Vico's New Science of the Intersubjective World, approachable and informative, and very helpful as an introduction to the original work of Vico Giambattista. Hösle's work aims to give a fundamental preparation for a "precise study of the Scienza nuova" (4), providing the reader with "the necessary categories and context, and to familiarize him or her with the most important moments in the critical debate on Vico" (4). It is the purpose of this review to determine whether the goal of the author was fully achieved. Hittinger's translation makes accessible Hösle's brilliant elucidation of Vico's Scienza Nuova to the graduate level philosopher, theologian, or historian of philosophy. The translation is presented in fluid and vivid English which is effective in communicating the important ideas of Hösle's research on Vico. This translated work will no doubt effectively assist the serious researcher of Vichian philosophy. Vittorio Hösle breaks down, in true scholarly fashion, many aspects of Vico's philosophy by guiding the reader through an introductory background of his personal biography; along with the formal, methodological and material aspects found in the Scienza Nuova. The introduction to Vico's life and the [End Page 212] following three categories provide ample information about Vico and details of the value, innovation and questions of the Scienza Nuova. His layout is both effective and precise, whether introducing Vico's notion of historical development and divine providence, or presenting his insights on topics such as language, art, jurisprudence, and political theory, to name just a few. The development of peoples is a concept that Vico treats in his Scienza Nuova. His position showed adventurous originality and "outside the box" thinking, as Hösle shows him to have been particularly innovative. Nations rise and fall and different forms of governance are changed and developed. This was understood before and during Vico's time, notably by Machiavelli. However, Vico had developed a fascinating thought: that it wasn't simply nations or governments that changed, but also the "people acting in history is subject to change" (70). In other words, he understood that historical events occurred exteriorly to human beings, e.g. human nature. Vico was experimenting with the idea that human nature changes with the flux of historical events, which would be contrary to the traditional view of human nature never being subject to change in itself, especially by external historical events. His stance was that with the change of exterior historical events there was also an internal fluctuation in human nature, to include emotions. This is reminiscent of an early attempt at a sociological conclusion, where a study of society occurs in relation to certain events or occurrences that have happened, e.g. war. Vico claims that the archaic man's "notion of justice, conception of beauty, and view of God are completely unlike" (70) the man of the present time. This is an early subjectivist position on human nature. Vico's position allows him to conclude that "archaic man is not actually capable for logical reasons, of understanding the equality of all men" (72). Vico understands that a state run by the rule of law can exist only in late history. Thus he concludes that the modern state (eighteenth-century) extends beyond the pre-logical thought of the archaic man and arrives at modern rationality. Another example in the Scienza Nuova that shows Vico's philosophical originality is his perspectives on spoken language and its importance. He sees that "the unity of the human being is rooted in language: language carries the expression of heart and mind" (102). Alluding to this Vichian idea, Hösle continues to point out that Vico's interest in language "is rooted in his objective of reconstructing the archaic world" (102). Vico's interest in language, although original and novel, is restricted by his times. H...