Vico's new science revisited

CYCLE: Tomorrow
SPEAKER: Robert Pogue Harrison
DATE: Tuesday, June 9, 6:00 PM
LOCATION: Bibliotheca Maior - Sala della Crociera

The lecture will analyze Vico’s highly original theory on the history of mentalities and the way in which forms of consciousness influence the dynamics of cultural evolution. Particular attention will be devoted to Vico’s interpretation of the moral, psychological, and political forces that drive the decay of nations in the final stages of the historical corso. The lecture will argue that the New Science offers one of the most incisive and relevant theories for reflecting on what awaits our civilization tomorrow.

Robert Pogue Harrison is Professor Emeritus of Italian Literature at Stanford University. He is the author of five books, including Forests: The Shadow of Civilization (University of Chicago Press, 1992); The Dominion of the Dead (University of Chicago Press, 2003); Gardens: An Essay on the Human Condition (University of Chicago Press, 2008); and Juvenescence: A Cultural History of Our Age (University of Chicago Press, 2014). He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres. He is a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books.

Free admission subject to availability.
Reservations via this link.