Vico’s Time Loop: The Eternal Cycle of Civilization

History often gives a sense that it moves in cycles. Giambattista Vico’s, an Italian Philospher from 17th and 18th century developed the concept of “Historical cycles” which describe the recurring stages (ricorso) through which societies evolve.

He divides history into three main stages:

1. The Age of Gods — In this phase, society is dominated by religious and mythical thinking. Authority is attributed to divine powers, and early civilizations are governed by theocratic systems.
2. The Age of Heroes — This stage represents aristocratic or feudal societies, where a heroic class rules based on power, honor, and strength. Society is hierarchical and governed by a warrior elite.
3. The Age of Men — In the final stage, reason and equality become dominant. Society transitions to a more democratic and rational order, with laws and institutions guided by reason rather than myth or force.

After reaching this rational stage, Vico believed that societies would eventually decline, collapse, and begin the cycle anew, returning to the Age of Gods. Thus, history is viewed as a continuous cycle of rise, peak, decay, and rebirth.

Although Vico saw societies moving through these cycles, he believed that humanity could potentially progress by building upon the experiences and wisdom gained from previous cycles.

This concept influenced Hegel’s development of Dialectical Triad which in turn influenced Karl Marx’s Dialectical Materialism.