Vico's Scienza Nuova position paper

The three stages

I strongly disagree with Vico’s interpretation of humanity and its history based on cyclical stages. The reason is simple yet a strong fact that is undeniable.

First of all, Vico’s theory axes out the possibility of a being called “God.” According to Vico, if a supernatural force or God intrudes in history, then the pattern that he suggests looses validity.

I think this is somewhat similar with the view of Mircea Eliades “cyclical events.” But for Vico, it isn’t cyclical events that he is concerned in but actually in cyclical stages.

There is a point for Vico to dispense God in his theory. Because truly when God interludes with history of mankind, it is no longer cyclical but more of a linear perspective of history. God performs miracles that are not cyclical at all. Therefore to stick to the original plan of Vico, God has to be excluded.

Vico also axes out the Hebrews from his theory. The reason is very simple if you have been reading the paragraphs written above very carefully. Hebrew is God’s chosen people. Therefore many unusual things occur in relevance to the intrusion of God in their stages of life.

So how does the exclusion of Hebrews fit with the word that Vico has said about the cyclical three stages that happen in “all nations?” The word “all” according to Oxford dictionary is “everything, completely, and the whole number or amount.” (2000)

This means that exclusion of one nation called “the Hebrews” is already contradiction to his own theory.

Another curiosity that came up was the usage of the word “development.” I agree that humans have been developing ever since, following the three stages that Vico states in his theory if we are referring to scientific aspects understanding human development.

To explain my point of contradiction is a more précised manner, I believe that it would be helpful for us to understand Vico’s theory by listing down the three steps of Vico’s theory. Three steps are, 1. The age of gods 2. the age of heroes, and finally 3. the age of men.

Age of gods in Vico’s theory is explained and called upon as “the primitive man.” Age of heroes in Vico’s theory is imposed as “the patriarch or eh leader of the clientage” who is referred to as a hero. Finally the Age of men in Vico’s theory represents the human equality and the civilized state.

According to Vico’s theory, we are living in the age of men which is the time that everyone is equal and civilized. But the fact that the cycle will repeat, meaning that we are or after few generations has gone by, the age of gods will come back and everyone will live and act like a barbarian or a primitive man who searches augury from God.

This was something that I couldn’t agree basing this argument on totally secular and scientific basis. No one can deny the fact that technology until this moment has rapidly developed. No one can deny the fact that the science and understanding of human mind and behavior (which is called psychology) is reaching to its highest point. After all this discoveries and development, I don’t think it is possible to go back to the stage of primitive man. That is a ridiculous idea as of now for everyone who is living in this planet.


Oxford advanced learner’s dictionary (6th edition).(2000).
Oxford university press