La presenza Implicita di Lucrezio in Vico

The implicit presence of Lucretius in Vico · This essay investigates Lucretius’ implicit presence in Giambattista Vico’s thought. Vico read Lucretius between 1686 and 1695, during his youth in Vatolla. He drew inspiration from Lucretius to develop his theory on the primitive state of humanity, while overcoming the Epicurean vision through the concept of Providence. Vico’s connection with Lucretius is also revealed through his personal annotations on the texts of Scienza nuova and his comparison with other classical sources. The figure of Lucretius becomes crucial in his thinking on nature, grace and the contrast with Protestantism. In summary, Lucretius plays a fundamental role in Vico’s thought, as an example of how ancient philosophy can be reworked to explain civilisation and the human mind, albeit with a vision that distances itself from Epicurus’ perspective.