Shows how Italian philosopher Giambattista Vico (1668-1744) picked up ideas on metaphor and ingenuity from the literary rhetoric of the age and turned them into valuable concepts in a general theory of knowledge and the philosophy of history for which he is now mainly known. Also shows how his original position enabled him to criticize Descartes' idea of rationality. Appends translations of relevant passages from contemporary writers. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Focusing on the evolution of philosophical interpretation in eighteenth-century Germany, the work highlights the contributions of Lutheran thinkers Christoph August Heumann and Johann Jacob Brucker. It examines how Heumann shifted away from biographical approaches, leading Brucker to develop a method centered on abstract philosophical systems. The narrative explores the influence of late ancient Platonism, particularly Plotinus, and reveals the Lutheran religious assumptions that shaped this new philosophical framework, alongside critiques of contemporary scholars like Thomas Taylor.