Physica ingeniosa and Abyssinian philosophy: the Ambivalence of the Cartesian Physics in De ratione, V

Abstract

This study contrasts Vico’s conception of the physics based on ingenium, developed in chapter five of De ratione, to its alleged counterpart, Cartesian deductive natural science. By examining the various «faces» and ramifications of Cartesian physics with a special focus on Thomas Burnet’s «ingenious physics», the Authors demonstrate the affinity of some versions of the Cartesian hypothetical approach to Vico’s rhetorical epistemology.

Keywords

• G. Vico
• R. Descartes
• Th. Burnet
• Natural science
• De ratione