De Antiquissima Italorum Sapientia

De Antiquissima Italorum Sapientia, or "On the Ancient Wisdom of the Italians," is a significant work by Giambattista Vico, published in 1710. It serves as a refutation of the rationalistic philosophy of René Descartes.1

In this oration, Vico posits that true certainty arises not from abstract reasoning, but from understanding what humanity has created. He argues that humans can truly know the "world of nations" because they have built it, whereas the natural world is knowable only by God. This principle, that truth is found in the made, became a cornerstone of Vico's historiography. He also explored the nature of primitive mentality, suggesting that early humans expressed themselves through powerful imaginations and poetic metaphors, leading to distinct historical ages: the age of gods, the age of heroes, and the age of men.2