$1 .45 THEN EW SCIENCE OF GIAMBATTISTA V oJoC oQ 'l nm lattd }rom t/.t l'hud I dtltOII a/Iff • ttll a Ill'.. mtrorlurtir.u h THOMAS GODDARD BERGIN AND MAX HAROLD FISCH THE NEW SCIENCE OF GIAMBATTISTA VICO translated from the third edition ( 1744) by THOMAS GODDARD BERGIN and MAX HAROLD FISCH the translation now abridged and revised and with a new introduction , Anchor Books Doubleday & Company, Inc. Garden City, New York 1961 CONTENTS PREPACE • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • xii.i BlDLIOCRAPUUCAL NOTE ••••••••••.•••••••••••••••• xvll ABBREVIATIONS AND SlCNS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • x:ix INTRODUCTION • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • xx.i IDEA OF THE WORK 3 BOOK ONE: ESTABLISHMENT OF PRINCIPLES sECTION x. Notes on the Chronological Table, in Which the Materials Are Set in Order . 11 SECTION u. Elements . 18 SECTION m. Principles . 52 SECTION IV. ~iethod . 57 BOOK TWO: POETIC WISDOM PROLECO!>rENA • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 69 Introduction . 69 Chapter I. Wisdom in General . 70 Chapter ll. Exposition and Division of Poetic Wisdom . 72 Chapter Ill. The Universal Flood and the Giants . 73 SECTION 1. Poetic Metaphysics . 74 Chapter I. Poetic Metaphysics as the Origin of Poetry, Idolatry, Divination, and Sacrifices . 74 Chapter II. Corollaries concerning the Principal As­ pects of This Science . 79 SECTION u. Poetic Logic . 85 Chapter I. Poetic Logic . 85 Chapter II. Corollaries concerning Poetic Tropes, Monsters, and Metamorphoses . 87 Chapter III. Corollaries concerning Speech by Poetic Characters among the First Nations . 91 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Tile New Science of Giambattista Vico The New Science of Giambattista Vico Chapter IV. Corollaries concerning the Origins of Lan­ Chapter v. Corollary: It is Divine Providence ~at guages and Letters; and, Therein, the Origins of Institutes Commonwealths and at the Same Trme Hieroglyphics, Laws, Names, Family Arms, Medals, the Naturnl Law of the Centes .• . • . • . 188 and Money; and Hence of the First Language and Chapter VI. Heroic Politics RCSW:Oed •... .. : .. .' 192 Literature of the Natural Law of the Centes . 97 Cha ter VII. Corollaries concenung Roman Antiqll;'- Chapter V. Corollaries concerning the Origins of Poetic ti P and in Particular the Supposedly Monarchic Style, Digression, Inversion, Rhythm, Song, and ~gship at Rome and. the Supposedly Popular Verse ..................................... 110 Liberty Instituted by Juruus Brutus ............. 201 Chapter VI. The Other Corollaries Announced at the Chapter Vlll. Corollary concerning the Heroism of Beginning of Chapter .IV . 117 the First .Peoples . 201 Chapter VII. Final Corollaries concerning the Logic of SECTION VI. • •. • •• • •• • •. • •. • .• • ••• • • •. • •• • • •••• • • 208 the Learned . 123 Chapter 1. Epitomes of Poetic History · · · · · · · · · · · · · 208 SEC'rtO'II ut. Poetic Morals . 127 212 SECTION vn. Poetic Physics . · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Chapter I. Poetic Morals and the Origins of the Vulgar Chapter I. Poetic Physics · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·. · 212 Virtues Taught by Religion through the Institution Chapter n. Poetic Physics concerning Man, or HerOIC 214 of l.fatrimony . 127 Nature . · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 7 SECTION 21 IV. Poetic Economy .. .... .. .... .. ... 135 Chapters III-V. Corollaries . · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · • · · · · Chapter 1. Of Poetic Economy, and Here of the Fami- SECTION vm. • • • • • • . • • •• • • •••• • .••..•.• • • •••. • • • • 218 lies Which at First Included Only Children and Chapter I. Poetic Cosmography · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Not Famull . 135 227 SECTION IX. Poetic Astronomy . · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Chapter II. The Families with Their Famuli, Which Chapter I. Poetic Astronomy . 227 Preceded the Cities, and without Which the Cities Chapter II. Astronomical and Pbysico-phil~lo~cal Could Not Have Been Born . 150 Demonstration of the Uniformity of the PrinCJples Chapter III. Corollaries concerning Contracts Sealed of Astronomy among All Ancient Gentile Nations .. 227 by Simple Consent . 163 sECTION x. Poetic Chronology ...... · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 230 Chapter IV. Mythological Canon . ..... .... ..... 165 Chapter I. Poetic Chronology ............ ·. · : · · · · · 230 SECTION v. Poetic Politics . 166 Chapter ll. Chronological Canon for DeterminiDg the Chapter I. Poetic Politics, under Which the First Beginnings of Universal History ..•...... · · · · · · 233 Commonwealths in the World Were Born in a Mos t SECTION XI. Poetic Geography · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · • 234 Severely Aristocratic Form . 166 Chapter I. Poetic Geography ........ · · · · · · · · · · · · 234 Chapter 11. All Commonwealths are Born from Certain Chapter II. Corollary on the Coming of Aeneas into Eternal Principles of Fiefs . 177 Italy ..............•....................... 240 Chapter III. The Origins of the Census and the Treas- Chapter III. Tbe Denomination and Description of ury .... ....... ......... ... .... ... 187 the Heroic Cities ................ · · .. · · · · · · · · 241 Chapter IV. The Origins of the Roman Assemblies . 188 Conclusion ........•.............. · · · · · · · · · · · • · · 241 The New Science of Giambattista Vico The New Science of Giambattista Vico BOOK THREE: DISCOVERY OF THE TRUE HOMER Chapter II. Corollary on the Political Wisdom of the Ancient Romans .... · ... .· . 300 SECl'ION 1. Search for the True .Homer . .. 245 Chapter III. Corollary: Fundamental History of Roman Introduction .................................. 245 Law ...................................... 301 Chapter I. The Esoteric Wisdom Attributed to Homer. 245 SECTIOS X:. Three Kinds of Judgments · ............. 304 Chapter II. Homer's Fatherland . 250 Chapter I. First Kind: Divine Judgments . 304 Chapter III. The Age of Homer . 251 Chapter 11. Corollary ~o Duels. and Reprisals . 306 Chapter IV. Homer's Matchless Faculty for Heroic Chapter III. Second Kind: Ord.inmy Judgments ..... 309 Poetry ..................................... 254 Chapter IV. Third Kind: Human Judgments ....... 313 Chapter V. Philosophical Proofs for the Discovery of SECTION xx. Three Sects of Times . 314 the True Homer . 257 Chapter I. Sects of Religious, Punctilious, and Civil Chapter VI. Philological Proofs for the Discovery of Times ..................................... 314 the True Homer . 263 sECTION XII. Other Proofs Drawn from the Properties SECl'ION u. Discovery of the True Homer . 269 of the Heroic Aristocracies . 316 Introduction . 269 Introduction . 316 Chapter I. The Improprieties and Improbabilities of Chapter I. The Guarding of the Confines . 316 the Homer Hitherto Believed in Beoome Proper and Chapter II. The Guarding of the Institutions . 318 Necessary in the Homer Herein Discovered . 269 Chapter III. The Guarding of the Laws . 328 Chapter II. The Poems of Homer Revealed as Two SECTION XIU. • ' •.• ' •• • ••• ' ' • ••.•• ' • ' ' ' ••..•• .' • ' 332 Great Treasure Stores of the Natural Law of the Chapter I. Other Proofs Taken from Mixed Common­ Gentes of Grceoe . 273 wealths; That Is, from the Tempering of the Con­ Appendix. Rational History of the Dramatic and Lyric stitution of a Succooding Commonwealth by the Poets ..................................... .. 275 Administration of the Preceding One . 332 Chapter Il. An Eternal Natural Royal Law by Which BOOK FOUR: THE COURSE THE NATIONS RUN the Nations Come to Rest under Monarchies . 333 Chapter Ill. Refutation of the Principles of Political Introduction . 283 Theory o.s Represented by the System of Jean Bodin 334 SECl'ION x. Three Kinds of .Natures . 285 SECTION XIV. Final Proofs to Confirm the Course of Na- SEcnos u. Three Kinds of Customs . 287 tions . ................................ ..... 335 SECI'ION m. Three Kinds of Natural Law ............ 288 Chapter I. Punishments, Wars, Order of Numbers . 335 SECl'ION IV. Three Kinds of Governments . 289 SECl'ION v. Three Kinds of Languages . 291 Chapter II. Corollary: That the Ancient Roman Law SECl'ION vx. Three Kinds of Characters . 292 Was a Serious Poem, and the Ancient Jurisprudence a Severe Kind of Poetry, within Which Are Found SECl'ION VII. Three Kinds of Jurisprudence ........... 294 SECl'ION VIII. Three Kinds of Authority . , ...... , .. , . 296 the First Outlines of Legal Metaphysics in the Rough; and How, among the Creeks, Philosophy SECTION IX. Three Kinds of Reason . 299 Chapter I. Divine Reason and Reason of .State . 299 Was Born of the Laws ....................... 338 %11 The New Science of Giambattista Vlco BOOK FIVE: TilE RECOURSE OF HUMAN INSTITU TIONS WHICH THE NATIONS TAKE WHEN T RISE AGAIN Introduction . • . 35 Chapter I. The Latest Barbaric History Explained as the Recourse of the First Barbaric History . 35 Chapter II. The Recourse the Nations Take over the Eternal Nature of Fiefs, and the Recourse Thence of Ancient Roman Law in Feudal Law . 3 Chapter ill. Survey of the Ancient and the Modem World of Nations in the light of the Principles of This .Science . 36 CONCLUSION OF THE WORK On an Eternal Natural Commonwealth, in Each Kind Best, Ordained by Divine Providence . 37 ABBREVIATIONS AND SIGNS ces are to divisions or lines a! numbered in Loeb (Re £e ren b h diti . •· th . · 1 Library editions w ere sue e ons ens..; o erw~se Classtca d d _ .J: • f th · · aJ exts ) to Teubner or other stan ar ewtions o e ongm t . A. Aeneid