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6.
THE ORIGINS OF HUMAN CIVILIZATION:
SEGMENTS
C
AND
C’
As discussed above, the Vichian «principles» (religion, matri-
mony, funerary rites) in Book I are not only fundamental con-
stituents of human civilization but also its beginnings
252
. Vico’s
preoccupation with unearthing origins, and by means of them
the true forces propelling the large-scale trajectory of civiliza-
tions, «the course the nations run» (Book IV) reaches its most
comprehensive expression in Book II, understandably giving rise
to talk of «Vico’s obsession with origins»
253
. In any kind of theo-
ry, in general, as well as any philosophical system, for that matter,
the most crucial elements are the fundamental premises and first
principles, and while the main body of work that flows, or is
claimed to derive from them, may be of great interest and shows
indications of being valid, the most important, indeed decisive,
part, epistemologically, is the initial premises. It is only after such
premises “pass muster” that an inquiry can properly be taken to
the next step or level. Therefore, from an epistemological stand-
point, Vico’s seemingly interminable exploration of origins in
Book II which in itself takes up as much as half of the entire
Sci-
enza nuova
, plays an absolutely essential role. Rather than engag-
ing with the full scope of Book II, and its hypothesized counter-
part in Book IV, our aim is more restricted and focused; first of
all, in the context of the larger structural proposal of ring com-
position in
Scienza nuova
, Book II will be viewed through the lens
of Book IV in order to determine whether it is possible to cast
into relief any particular theme(s) out of the overwhelming rich-
ness of the material. A second area of concentration will be re-
lated to Vico’s philosophy of language, but restricted also to cer-