The Scienza Nuova of 1725 in Germany

Abstract

This article examines the early reception of Giambattista Vico’s Scienza Nuova (1725) in Ger-many and its influence on the subsequent restructuring of the work. The first edition was published without prominent mention of the author and featured a structure separating ideas and languages. Upon reaching Leipzig, editor Johann Burckhardt Mencke published a severe critique, questioning the work’s rationality and relevance. In 1729, Vico responded with the Vindiciae, defending the central role of ingenium as a creative and divine force. The 1730 second edition introduced a comprehensive reorganization: chapters were merged, the dipintura and spiegazione were added, and the historical-philosophical focus of the work was consolidated. This analysis demonstrates that the German critical reception, though negative, indirectly contributed to the final, world-renowned form of the Scienza Nuova, illustrating the interaction between Southern philosophy and the rationalist tradition of Northern Europe.