Giambattista Vico (1668,1744) was an Italian philosopher, rhetorician, and historian. As one of the great thinkers of the Enlightenment, he exerted tremendous influence on the social sciences. He was the first to stress cultural and linguistic dimensions in the development of both the human mind and social institutions. Although his ideas on the relationship between mind and culture and his epistemology have inspired the work of many scholars in psychology, his sizeable influence has been scarcely acknowledged. The volume is organized in two sections. The first locates Vico in his historical context and in the landscape of contemporary human and social sciences. The second part presents those of Vico's concepts that seem promising for the development of a new way of looking at psychological phenomena. In the book's conclusion, Luca Tateo gathers the ideas of the volume's contributors to suggest future development of the psychological sciences. This book aims to show how Vico's insights can inspire future research in the psychological sciences. It collects multidisciplinary contributions of leading international scholars that draw upon the thought of this original thinker. Collectively, the contributors remind us of the legacy and continuing influence of this inspiring historical figure.

Series Editor's Foreword: Imagining a New Science of PsychologyJaan Valsiner Preface: Why Social Sciences Need VicoLuca Tateo Introduction: What For?Waldomiro Silva Filho Part I. Vico in Context 1 Giambattista Vico: His Life, Times, Ideas,and His Relevance TodayMarcel Danesi2 The Genesis of Vico's Ideas: An Explorative Study on Psychology as a Premise for the Verum Factum PrincipleSven Hroar Klempe3 Vico-From Idealism to Cultural Psychology: Revising the Past for the FutureGordana Jovanovi Part II. Vico's Theoretical Concepts and Legacy 4 Vico, (Particular) Imaginative Universals, Divine Providence, and the Imaginative Work Needed in Relating Oneself to OthersJohn Shotter5 Language, Mind, and CultureAugusto Ponzio6 Giambattista Vico's Common SenseIvana Markova7 The Epistemic Value of FantasyCarlos Cornejo Conclusion: Toward a New (Psychological) ScienceLuca Tateo References Contributors Index