Honoring Contributions and Building Community in Intellectual Engagement

In this lecture, Prof. West argues that the greatest breakthrough in modern philosophy is found in the works of the Italian Giambattista Vico (1668-1744), whose perceptions wedded wisdom, eloquence, prudence, and providence. His 1725 work, The New Science, was the first great philosophic European response to the New World. In it, Vico saw Europe as locked into a dominant ‘barbarism of reflection’, yielding a rapacious individualism, and reducing philosophy to a paralyzing scepticism.

As Prof. West discusses in this talk, Vico responded to this scepticism with his conception of ‘ingenium’, a kind of ingenuity or improvisation that accentuates our creative power to transcend savagery.

The original video can be found here, and the description given above was written by the producers of the lecture series at the University of Edinburgh and provided in the video description.

The episode art is the frontispiece (custom engraving under the cover) for Vico's "The New Science" (Scienza Nuova).

---

As always these talks are syndicated for educational and nonprofit purposes in accordance with Fair Use. They are produced ad-free, because I listen to my own stuff on here and like you, I hate ads.

If you are able, donations to support the project, which is a labor of love for me,⁠ ⁠⁠are available through Spotify. ⁠⁠⁠Anything helps and is felt.

Furthermore my historical and philosophical writing, which is also entirely free is available at my blog,⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Hemlock⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, on Substack.

The music of the intro and outro (Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major) is licensed under non-commercial attribution, and can be⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠found here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and has been remixed by me.

Enjoy.