This book is a retrospective view of modern philosophical anthropology through the works of two of its greatest exponents. the author demonstrates how mythology, the philosophy of history and language and Vico's concept of man had as a constant referral point Malebranche's psychology with its Cartesian formulation. The idolatrous and mythopoietic imagination that is described in La Scienza Nuova (New Science) has much in common with the "pagan" mind (that is to say the mind subjugated to passions, sensitivity and fantasy that is described in La Recherche (The Search after Truth). Some of the themes discussed here are myth, the metaphoric nature of thought, idolatry, the formation of mentality, the relationships which bind passions and representations and the association of ideas through iconic images. Also discussed are other themes such as the structure of society and imagination, imitation, persuasion and social relationships, communication within society between illustrious imaginations. Moreover in Malebranche has been found a complex and complete theory of imaginative universals (universali fantastici).
Book Title
The Philosophy of the Imagination in Vico and Malebranche
Authors
Paolo Fabiani
Peer Reviewed
Number of Pages
420
Publication Year
2009
Copyright Information
© 2009 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Publisher Name
Firenze University Press
DOI
10.36253/978-88-6453-068-0
ISBN Print
978-88-6453-066-6
eISBN (pdf)
978-88-6453-068-0
eISBN (xml)
978-88-9273-730-3
Series Title
Strumenti per la didattica e la ricerca
Series ISSN
2704-6249
Series E-ISSN
2704-5870