Vico e la negazione della storia

Vico and the negation of History. This article concerns the relationship between history and ingens sylva, as it appears in Vico’s Scienza nuova. According to Mario Papini, ingens sylva is the fourth age of the Scienza nuova, never explained and nevertheless always present. According to Enzo Paci, history itself is an exception in front of the ingens sylva. History emerges from body, gestures, symbols, metaphors, and only at the end concepts and mind come to the fore. History is not a priori guaranteed by any concept or eternal idea. The ingens sylva hangs over every moment of the history: it is not only our past, but also our future, as the barbarism of reflection.