80 / 298
Horst Steinke
80
had for the humanists» (Id.,
On the Encyclopedic Structure of the New Science
,
cit., p.
29).
142
In the Schaeffer translation. Ruggiero helpfully points out that «ten-
tatur» has the sense of “experimental” (Id.,
Nova Scietia Tentatur
, cit., p.
148).
143
As termed by Ruggiero: «La filologia come scienza enciclopedica e or-
dinatrice (e non come mera tecnica di lettura) [philology as an encyclopedic
and ordering science (and not as mere technique of studying texts)]» (
ibid.
,
p.
148).
144
We concur therefore with Haddock,
Vico’s Theory of Science
, cit., p. 79:
«Vico
did
search through masses of ancient literature. He
did
find regular re-
currences of theme and idea. But it is correct to say that he went at the search
with an already fairly well articulated theory in mind, one which told him
where to look, and what to look for» (italics in the original).
145
This is not to say, therefore, that in a different context, the terms “the-
ory” and “theoretical” are not appropriate in a less formal sense. For example,
Pompa chose to use these terms in a more extended, unmarked, sense: «The
word “philosophical” will be used to refer to his [Vico’s]
a priori
theories in
general, i.e. to his metaphysical and epistemological theories together» (Id.,
Vico: A Study of the New Science
,
cit., p. 15, footnote 1). Also, more recently,
Pompa spoke of Vico’s «metaphysical theory of human nature» (Id.,
Reflections
on the Ideal Eternal History
, in «BCSV», XLI, 2011, 2, pp. 15-32, p. 29, footnote
16).
Croce, also, applied the term “theory” loosely as well-organized disci-
plines: «The New Science […] consists of three groups of investigations, phil-
osophical, historical and empirical. […] Now if these three classes of inquiry
and theory had been logically distinct in Vico’s mind and […] compressed
within the limits of a single book for literary reasons alone, the result might
have been confused» (Id.,
The Philosophy of Giambattista Vico
, cit., pp. 16, 17).
146
In Chapter 2 (
Concerning the Principle of Humanity
), § 1, he asserts that
«[h]umanity is the affection that inclines man to help man», which is further
elucidated in Chapters 3 to 6 in terms of the judicious exercise of «liberty»
pursuant to God-given free will, including economic activity («commerce»),
land ownership and/or control, and the right to defense of self and property.
147
At the beginning of Chapter 2, Vico emphasizes the social function of
language: «Help is provided mostly through speech, such as counsel, admoni-
tions, exhortations, consolations, criticisms. For this reason, I think, the study
of languages was called “humanities”».
148
The importance of juridical thought to Vico’s “philology” is pointed
out in R. Ruggiero,
La “volgar tradizione”. Prove di critica testuale in Giambattista
Vico
, Lecce, Pensa Multimedia, 2003, pp. 13-14.