“Ho scelto la parte istorica” History and Atomism in the Guiseppe Valetta’s Istoria filosofica (1697-1704)

The advent of modernity in Naples is characterized by an ambiguous relation to erudition and historical filiations. While the movement of the novatores was characterized by the rejection of erudition in favor of experimentation, the recourse to historical argument was often used tactically in the battle against the party of the Ancients. Hence, the Istoria filosofica (1697-1704) by G. Valetta is an entirely new historical reconstruction legitimizing the use of atomism by the moderns.