Why did Vico think societies pass through recurring stages?

Giambattista Vico proposed that human societies pass through recurring stages because he viewed history as an organic process driven by the changing consciousness and institutions of humanity. In his work New Science, he argued that because humans create their own social world, they can understand its development through three distinct, cyclical ages:123

• The Age of the Gods: A primitive, "bestial" state where humans are governed by fear of the supernatural.41
• The Age of Heroes: A period defined by rigid social hierarchies, such as the division between patricians and plebeians, formed by family leaders for protection.43
• The Age of Men: A stage characterized by rational speculation and the achievement of equal rights through class conflict.41

Vico believed that societies inevitably face corruption and dissolution at the end of the "age of men," often due to an excess of reflection or materialism. This decay can lead to a reversion to primitive barbarism, necessitating a new beginning. He maintained that Providence acts to guide this historical course, preventing total collapse and allowing for the regeneration of nations through the fundamental pillars of religion, marriage, and burial customs.452