TheFirstNewSciencegivesaclearaccountofthebasicthemeofVice’smaturephilosophy:thebeliefthatfunctionswhicharenecessaryforthemaintenanceof
humansocietyandculture-includingphilosophy-arealsohistoricallyconditioningVicochallengesthetraditionalviewthatphilosophycanclaimanhistoricallyindependentviewpointfromwhichtomakeitspronouncements,thusraisingthequestionwhetherviablephilosophicaltheoriescaneverbemorethananintellectualexpressionoftheunderlyingbeliefsofanage,TheFirstNewScienceisthefirstofVico’sworksinwhichhewasable,bywritinginItalian,bothto
expoundandtodemonstratehisconceptionofthephilosophicalimportanceofetymology.ThisCambridgeTextseditionisthefirstcompleteEnglishtranslation
ofthe1725text.Accompaniedbyaglossary,bibliography,chronologyofVico’slifeandexpositoryintroduction,itmakesthisimportantworkaccessibletostudentsforthefirsttime.
LEONPOMPA,isEmeritusProfessorofPhilosophyoftheUniversityofBirmingham,Hehaspublishedoverahundredarticlesandbooksinthefieldsofphilosophyofhistory,epistemology,thehistoryofphilosophyandidealistphilosophy.HisworksincludeVico:astudyoftheNewScience(Cambridge1977:2ndedn.1990)Heisalso
thetranslatorandeditorofVico:SelectedWritings(Cambridge,1982)