Descartes, Leibniz and Vico

Abstract

This essay examines the conceptions of history and of historical truth that are present in the works of three major philosophers of the 18^th century: Descartes, Leibniz and Vico. Descartes despises history as a set of disconnected facts and deems it irrelevant for philosophy, which pursues a systemic and mathematical order. In contrast, Leibniz, though rationalist, introduces a new viewpoint by considering time and evolution as essential for the understanding of individual substances, which paves the way to a more profound assessment of history. On the other hand, Vico appears as a pioneer of historicism, defending the view that the truthful comprehension of history resides in history itself. The works of the Italian propose a method that contravenes cartesian logicism, and suggests that Mathematics, although they provide clear and distinct ideas, are incapable of catching the complexity of historical reality. This analysis reveals an evolution in philosophical thinking that stems from the rejection of history toward a more significant integration of history in the pursuit of knowledge.