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Exceptionally rare first edition of Vico's New Science, an unusually fine copy, fresh and untrimmed in interim boards, and with manuscript corrections to the text made by Vico or on his instruction. A seminal historiographical work, the New Science was "the vehicle by which the concept of historical development at last entered the thought of western Europe" (PMM). "Working in virtual isolation [Vico] laid the foundations of our modern concept of sociology. He boldly attacked the widely accepted theories of Descartes that mathematical proof was the one criterion of truth in every sphere of thought. Natural phenomena, he maintained, are the works of God; mathematics is an arbitrary human invention and there is no reason to suppose that God observes its principles. Vico believed that a genuine if limited knowledge of the external world was possible to man and he did not despise the use of mathematical method; but the Cartesian idea that full and perfect knowledge of the universe awaited only the perfection of geometrical knowledge was quite unacceptable to him. Human knowledge of the universe could never be perfect, owing to the imperfection of our nature and our limited powers of observation. Only to God was perfect knowledge possible... Vico was the first to recognize the importance of language, myth and tradition as a source for understanding the primitive stages of man's history, before intellectual and historical consciousness developed. Poetry, for example, enshrines much early history, and historical facts can be deduced from philology" (PMM). The book had originally been conceived as two monumental quarto volumes, to be printed in Florence at Cardinal Lorenzo Corsini's expense. But when Vico's manuscript was ready, the prelate decided he could not meet the printing costs. Faced with the prospect of a self-financed publication that would mean compressing his text to a quarter of its original size, Vico reorganized his material in a way that ultimately seemed to him to be more cogent than the initial version. He had 1,000 copies printed in a minuscule typeface on low-quality paper, plus 12 copies on fine paper with large margins. Nicolini states that Vico signed, dedicated, and annotated several copies before sending them to friends and libraries. The extensiveness of the annotation varies from around 200 (mostly typographical corrections) to just a few, recorded by Nicolini. This copy carries annotations to ten pages, made by or on Vico's instruction. "This first edition is very scarce; in 1729, four years after its publication, its rarity was renowned" (Parenti 11). It was reprinted and enlarged in 1730 and 1744. ICCU lists four copies of the first edition in Italian libraries and WorldCat lists copies at four US institutions (Harvard, Yale, University of Michigan, and Burndy Library) and one apiece in the UK (British Library), Germany (Herzog-August Bibliothek), and Australia (Australian National University). No copy has sold at auction in the last 65 years. READ MORE Duodecimo (165 x 105 mm). Uncut in contemporary interim paper boards, manuscript title at head of spine. Housed in a custom blue paper-covered flat-back box. Woodcut head- and tailpieces, initials. Manuscript corrections to pp. 35, 46, 59, 60, 61, 108, 142, 173, 249, 267; 3-line paper slip pasted on verso of the last page of text. Contents foxed and browned due to the poor quality of the paper, but a very fine copy, completely untrimmed. Brunet V, 1175; Croce I, p. 1; Nicolini Bibliografia Vichiana I, p. 37ff; Nicolini Opere III, p. 335ff.; Printing and the Mind of Man 184. Marino Parenti, Notizia bibliografica sulle edizioni originali della 'Scienza Nuova', G. C. Sansoni, c. 1950.

"Principj di una scienza nuova intorno alla natura delle nazioni" (Principles of a New Science Concerning the Common Nature of Nations), more commonly known simply as "La Scienza Nuova" (The New Science), is a seminal work by the 18th-century Neapolitan philosopher Giambattista Vico. First published in 1725, with significantly revised editions in 1730 and 1744, Vico's work is a profound and innovative exploration of the development of human society, culture, and language. It proposes a comprehensive science of humanity by integrating history, philosophy, and jurisprudence. This essay delves into the origins, key themes, and lasting impact of Vico's "The New Science," underscoring its significance in the history of ideas. Giambattista Vico lived during a period marked by the Enlightenment, a time when reason and science were celebrated as the supreme means to understand the world. Against this backdrop, Vico critiqued the prevailing rationalistic approaches for their failure to account for the full depth and complexity of human history and social life. He argued that to truly comprehend human societies, one must consider their myths, languages, laws, and institutions—all products of the human mind that reflect the evolving consciousness of people over time. One of the most revolutionary ideas presented in "The New Science" is Vico's concept of history as cyclical. He proposed that societies develop through three ages: the age of gods, the age of heroes, and the age of men. Each age corresponds to a particular social organization, language usage, and system of law and justice. These cycles are not merely repetitive but are part of a larger, progressive understanding of human civilization. Vico introduced the principle of "verum factum," meaning "the true is the made," arguing that human beings can only truly understand what they themselves have created. This principle underpins his approach to the study of history and society, emphasizing the importance of understanding the human origins of social institutions and cultural artifacts. Vico was a pioneer in the study of philology (the study of language in historical texts) and mythology, using these as tools to uncover the origins and development of human societies. He believed that myths, in particular, were not mere fabrications but symbolic representations of historical truths, revealing the early stages of human consciousness and social organization. "The New Science" had a relatively limited impact during Vico's lifetime but has since been recognized as a foundational work in the fields of history, anthropology, and the philosophy of history. Its influence can be traced through the works of later thinkers such as Johann Gottfried Herder, Friedrich Nietzsche, and James Joyce, among others. Vico's ideas prefigured and contributed to the development of romanticism and historicism, challenging the Enlightenment's universal rationality with an emphasis on the particular, the historical, and the cultural. Furthermore, his work laid the groundwork for modern theories of culture and society, highlighting the role of language, myth, and tradition in shaping human worlds.