Jean-Jacques Rousseau – Discourse upon the Origin of Inequality among Mankind, 1761
First English translation of Rousseau’s early treatment of inequality, usually known as the ‘second discourse’, originally published as Discours sur l’origine et les fondements de l’inégalité parmi les hommes (1755). ‘The importance of this work has been indicated by Rousseau himself. In the Confessions he stressed that all the “strong ideas” contained in the Social […]
David Hume – Edinburgh Philosophical Society
Essays and Observations, Physical and Literary. Read before a [Philosophical] Society in Edinburgh, and published by them. Volume I. Edinburgh: G. Hamilton and J. Balfour, 1754. Volume II. Edinburgh: G. Hamilton and J. Balfour, 1756. Volume III. Edinburgh: John Balfour, 1771.
Donald Davidson et al – Outlines of a Formal Theory of Value, Stanford, 1954
Outlines of a Formal Theory of Value, I. Report No. 1. 10 February 1954. Stanford Value Theory Project, and Department of Philosophy, Stanford University. Stanford, CA: Academic Reprints, 1954. 280 x 215 mm, 44 pp., mimeographed or cyclostyled typescript stapled into original printed wrappers, a little dusty, ‘Davidson’ hand-lettered down spine by a previous owner, outer margin of title-page with a few small holes, otherwise a very good clean copy.
George Berkeley (ed.) – The Ladies Library. Written by a Lady, 1714
3 volumes, 12mo, without the frontispieces (apparently bound thus), [xv], 546, [18]; [xii], 436, [20]; [xviii], 503, [20] pp., (vol. 3 gatherings O and OP mispaginated [289-312], and two early single-word annotations in margins of pp. 92 and 161), contemporary panelled calf lightly rubbed, spines with raised bands and red morocco labels, wear to some corners and one headcap, an otherwise attractive set.
David Hume – Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, 1779
Second edition of Hume’s classic treatment of religion, published in the same year as the first very small Edinburgh edition, now virtually unobtainable. ‘Hume began writing the Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion around 1751, receiving comments on the manuscript from friends. The main revisions of the work occurred during the initial writing in 1751 and around […]
Karl Popper – The Logic of Scientific Discovery, 1959
Large 8vo, 480 pp., publisher’s cloth, in the original unclipped dust jacket which has a mark on the front panel and light foxing on the rear, spine panel somewhat browned, light spotting to outer edge of text block, internally clean and free of any inscriptions, a very good copy.
Ludwig Wittgenstein – numerous autograph comments and corrections on an offprint
Stapled offprint in original plain paper wrappers, 160mm x 235mm, 40 pp., Wittgenstein’s pencilled annotations in German faintly on the front wrapper and clearly on 12 pages, a further 16 pages with a mixture of his question marks, wavy lines, deletions, underlinings, exclamation marks, etc., the offprint with a slight vertical crease, otherwise in very good condition, housed in a protective cloth case. Numerous autograph comments and corrections in an offprint of Ludwig Hänsel’s essay ‘Wertgefühl und Wert’ [lit. Value-feeling and Value], Wiener Zeitschrift für Philosophie, Psychologie, Pädagogik, Band II, Heft 3, 1949.
F.W.J. Schelling – Zeitschrift für spekulative Physik, 1800-1803.
2 volumes, 8vo, iv, 168, 3-156, [2], [ii], 154, xiv, 127; [iv], 188, [ii], 174 (145-160 misnumbered 165-180), [ii], 109 pp., uniform contemporary marbled boards, rubbed at edges, spines with red labels lettered in gilt, faint underlining and marginal reading marks in unobtrusive old crayon on perhaps 40 pages, otherwise light uniform age-toning, no library stamps, generally a very good copy.
David Hume – the translation which first woke Kant from his dogmatic slumbers
4 volumes, 8vo, viii, 392; [xxiv], 374; [iv], 280; [iv], 380 pp., particularly well rebound in contemporary style, the first 3 title-pages with library stamps and shelfmarks, the fourth underlaid with corner torn away and loss of text, uniform light browning, heavier in the last volume which also has taped repairs to the final leaf, overall a reasonable set, very seldom found complete in any condition.
Arthur Schopenhauer – Sammelband with early annotations
4 works in one volume, 4 groups of contemporary ink annotations bound in behind each text (total 14 pp.), mid-19th-century half cloth over marbled boards, rubbed, spine lettered gilt ‘Einleitung in Schopenhauer Philosophie’ (the same words handwritten on the front free endpaper), the four texts very good, with light browning and foxing in places and isolated further brief annotations in pencil.