Giambattista Vico's Conception of Imagination and Its Educational Implications

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD Candidate in Philosophy of Education, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

2 Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Theology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

4 Associate Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

In the dominant philosophical tradition, imagination has generally been regarded as subordinate and ancillary to reason. This article examines the concept of imagination in the philosophy of Giambattista Vico and demonstrates that, in his thought, imagination is not a secondary faculty but rather the foundational basis for the possibility of thought, knowledge, and truth. Criticizing Cartesian rationalism, Vico considers imagination a fundamental element of human nature and a necessary condition for learning, self-knowledge, and social life. The present study shows that, according to Vico’s principle that “truth is made” (verum factum), knowledge is not the mere accumulation of abstract concepts but the product of human creative activity manifested in language, myth, metaphor, and narrative. From this perspective, poetry, history, literature, and rhetoric acquire a central role in contemporary moral and intellectual education. Vico presents imaginary forms as the primary origin of human thought and culture. In his view, metaphor, myth, and poetic language are not merely ornamental or literary devices; rather, they constitute primary cognitive mechanisms that enable the understanding of the world and self-knowledge. Analysis of the interconnection between imagination and rhetoric in Vico’s thought reveals that effective education requires the integration of reason and imagination, as well as attention to the emotional, symbolic, and linguistic dimensions of human experience. The article argues that the exclusion of imagination from the educational process reduces education to the mere transmission of information, whereas the true aim of education is the transformation of character and the cultivation of sound judgment and wisdom. Ultimately, this study emphasizes the necessity of rethinking contemporary educational systems in light of Vico’s imagination-centered and humanistic approach.

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References

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Journal of Philosophical Investigations
Volume 20, Issue 55 - Serial Number 55
Articles
Issue 55, Summer 2026
July 2026
Pages 747-766

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