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Humanities : Philosophy

The Philosophy department at Shapero Rare Books covers over 2,000 years of history from the pre-Socratic philosophers to signed first editions by Bertrand Russell and A.J. Ayer, with a particular focus on early English editions of Plato, Aristotle, Xenophon, Seneca, Cicero, Marcus Aurelius, Boethius, Machiavelli, Descartes, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, J.S. Mill and more.

See: Bibles & Theology, Classics, Economics, History, Humanities, Law, Occult & Magic, Politics

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  • A beautiful example of Richard Allestree's The Whole Duty of Man, well-preserved in this English Restoration red goatskin binding
    A beautiful example of Richard Allestree's The Whole Duty of Man, well-preserved in this English Restoration red goatskin binding

    ALLESTREE, Richard.
    The Whole Duty of Man, 1675.
    £2,500.00

  • The first parallel text edition in English and Italian of Castiglione Il Cortegiano, or The Courtier
    The first parallel text edition in English and Italian of Castiglione Il Cortegiano, or The Courtier

    CASTIGLIONE, Baldassare.
    Il Cortegiano, or The Courtier: 1727.
    £1,500.00

  • A handsoem copy of the first edition of Pemberton's classic introduction to Sir Isaac Newton's natural philosophy, illustrated with engraved plates

    [PEMBERTON, Henry].
    A View of Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophy. 1728.
    £1,850.00

  • A handsome example of J.S. Mill's spirited defence of Utilitarianism, bound in tree calf gilt with the arms of Brasenose College, Oxford
    A handsome example of J.S. Mill's spirited defence of Utilitarianism, bound in tree calf gilt with the arms of Brasenose College, Oxford

    MILL, John Stuart.
    Utilitarianism. 1879.
    £500.00

  • The third edition, published one year after the first, of Adam Ferguson's Essay on the History of Civil Society
    The third edition, published one year after the first, of Adam Ferguson's Essay on the History of Civil Society

    FERGUSON, Adam.
    An Essay on the History of Civil Society. 1768.
    £750.00

  • The first facsimile edition of the second book printed in the English language, The Game of Chesse from the press of William Caxton
    The first facsimile edition of the second book printed in the English language, The Game of Chesse from the press of William Caxton

    CAXTON, William.
    The Game of the Chesse, 1855].
    £1,500.00

  • A late Victorian edition of Mill's great essay On Liberty, in the publisher's purple cloth
    A late Victorian edition of Mill's great essay On Liberty, in the publisher's purple cloth

    MILL, John Stuart.
    On Liberty. 1884.
    £275.00

  • The first edition, first issue of John Stuart Mill's Autobiography in the publisher's pebble-grain green cloth
    The first edition, first issue of John Stuart Mill's Autobiography in the publisher's pebble-grain green cloth

    MILL, John Stuart.
    Autobiography. 1873.
    £500.00

  • A handsome set of the collected works of Edmund Burke, widely regarded as the founding-father of modern Conservatism
    A handsome set of the collected works of Edmund Burke, widely regarded as the founding-father of modern Conservatism

    BURKE, Edmund.
    The Works and Correspondence 1852.
    £2,250.00

  • The first edition of Bertrand Russell's intellectual autobiography My Philosophical Development, in the unclipped dustjacket
    The first edition of Bertrand Russell's intellectual autobiography My Philosophical Development, in the unclipped dustjacket

    RUSSELL, Bertrand.
    My Philosophical Development. 1959.
    £175.00

  • The first edition of this English language translation by Basil Kennett of Blaise Pascal's Pensées, or Thoughts on Religion
    The first edition of this English language translation by Basil Kennett of Blaise Pascal's Pensées, or Thoughts on Religion

    PASCAL, Blaise; KENNETT, Basil (translator).
    [Pensées]. 1704.
    £750.00

  • The first edition of this insightful constitutional study by William Edward Hearn on The Government of England
    The first edition of this insightful constitutional study by William Edward Hearn on The Government of England

    HEARN, William Edward.
    The Government of England 1867.
    £300.00

  • The Two Books of Francis Bacon of the Proficiencie and Advancement of Learning, his most important philosophical work
    The Two Books of Francis Bacon of the Proficiencie and Advancement of Learning, his most important philosophical work

    BACON, Francis.
    The Two Books of Francis Bacon, 1808.
    £450.00

  • A lifetime edition of Robert Dodsley's Oeconomy of Human Life, a philosophical work which presents itself as the English translation of an ancient Indian text
    A lifetime edition of Robert Dodsley's Oeconomy of Human Life, a philosophical work which presents itself as the English translation of an ancient Indian text

    [DODSLEY, Robert].
    The Oeconomy of Human Life.
    £350.00

  • The first edition in English of the Idiota de Mente, an important philosophical dialogue by the German humanist and Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa.
    The first edition in English of the Idiota de Mente, an important philosophical dialogue by the German humanist and Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa.

    [CUSANUS, Nicolas] CUSA, Nicholas of.
    The Idiot 1650.
    £8,000.00

  • An early edition of Thomas Taylor's English language translation of The Rhetoric, Poetic and Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle
    An early edition of Thomas Taylor's English language translation of The Rhetoric, Poetic and Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle

    ARISTOTLE; TAYLOR, Thomas (translator).
    The Rhetoric, Poetic, and Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle, 1818.
    £675.00

  • A lifetime edition of J.S. Mill's most important work of pure philosophy, A System of Logic
    A lifetime edition of J.S. Mill's most important work of pure philosophy, A System of Logic

    MILL, John Stuart.
    A System of Logic, 1862.
    £450.00

  • The final lifetime edition of Mill's pioneeing essay in defence of women's rights, The Subjection of Women
    The final lifetime edition of Mill's pioneeing essay in defence of women's rights, The Subjection of Women

    MILL, John Stuart.
    The Subjection of Women. 1870.
    £450.00

  • The first pocket-book edition of Sir Francis Bacon's Novum Organum, bound with his Historia Naturalis, together the second and third parts of his ambitious project, the Instauratio Magna

    BACON, Sir Francis (Viscount St. Alban).
    Novum Organum Scientiarum
    £1,850.00

  • The first edition of David Mallet's biograph of the polymath and statesman Sir Francis Bacon
    The first edition of David Mallet's biograph of the polymath and statesman Sir Francis Bacon

    MALLET, David.
    The Life of Francis Bacon, Lord Chancellor of England. 1740.
    £450.00

  • The first edition of this posthumously published collection of Three Essays on Religion by the English philosopher J.S. Mill
    The first edition of this posthumously published collection of Three Essays on Religion by the English philosopher J.S. Mill

    MILL, John Stuart.
    Three Essays on Religion. 1874.
    £250.00

  • The first edition in book form of J.S. Mill's study of Auguste Comte and Positivism, initially published in the Edinburgh Review
    The first edition in book form of J.S. Mill's study of Auguste Comte and Positivism, initially published in the Edinburgh Review

    MILL, John Stuart.
    Auguste Comte and Positivism. 1865.
    £185.00

  • First edition of <em>Unpopular Essays</em>, a collection of Bertrand Russell's more contrarian works, 'concerned to combat... the growth of dogmatism, whether of the Right or of the Left'.
    First edition of <em>Unpopular Essays</em>, a collection of Bertrand Russell's more contrarian works, 'concerned to combat... the growth of dogmatism, whether of the Right or of the Left'.

    RUSSELL, Betrand.
    Unpopular Essays. 1950.
    £125.00

  • First edition, first printing of Bertrand Russell's<em> Power.</em>
    First edition, first printing of Bertrand Russell's<em> Power.</em>

    RUSSELL, Bertrand.
    Power. 1938.
    £150.00

  • A first edition, first printing of this popular work by Bernard Russell which sets out to explain the nature of philosophical inquiry.
    A first edition, first printing of this popular work by Bernard Russell which sets out to explain the nature of philosophical inquiry.

    RUSSELL, Bertrand.
    An Outline of Philosophy. 1927.
    £125.00

  • The third edition, printed the same year of the definitive eighteenth-century treatise on women's education, Hannah More's Strictures on the Modern System of Female Education
    The third edition, printed the same year of the definitive eighteenth-century treatise on women's education, Hannah More's Strictures on the Modern System of Female Education

    MORE, Hannah.
    Strictures on the Modern System of Female Education. 1799.
    £450.00

  • An early printing of the first English language translation of Friedrich Nietzche's Also Sprach Zarathustra, translated by Alexander Tille
    An early printing of the first English language translation of Friedrich Nietzche's Also Sprach Zarathustra, translated by Alexander Tille

    NIETZSCHE, Friedrich; TILLE, Alexander (translator).
    Thus Spake Zarathustra. 1908.
    £675.00

  • The first dated edition of Erasmus' Moriae Encomium, an important work of humanist rhetoric which satirised the corrpution and religious hypocrisy of Europe's elite.
    The first dated edition of Erasmus' Moriae Encomium, an important work of humanist rhetoric which satirised the corrpution and religious hypocrisy of Europe's elite.

    ERASMUS, Desiderius.
    Moriae Encomium. August 1511.
    £50,000.00

  • Number 659 of 1550 limited edition copies of Plutarch's Lives by The Nonesuch Press, following the English language translation of Thomas North
    Number 659 of 1550 limited edition copies of Plutarch's Lives by The Nonesuch Press, following the English language translation of Thomas North

    [NONESUCH PRESS]; PLUTARCH; North, Thomas (translator).
    The Lives of the Noble Grecians & Romans 1929.
    £300.00

  • The third edition, printed the same year as the first of this attack by Jeremy Collier on the Immorality and Profaness of the English Stage
    The third edition, printed the same year as the first of this attack by Jeremy Collier on the Immorality and Profaness of the English Stage

    COLLIER, Jeremy.
    A Short View of the Immorality and Profaness of the English Stage: 1698.
    £450.00

  • The first edition of Bertrand Russell's insightful empircal study, Human Knolwedge
    The first edition of Bertrand Russell's insightful empircal study, Human Knolwedge

    RUSSELL, Bertrand.
    Human Knowledge. 1948.
    £375.00

  • An early edition of this Life of Socrates by John Gilbert Cooper drawn from Xenophon's Memorablia and Plato's dialogues amongst other classical sources
    An early edition of this Life of Socrates by John Gilbert Cooper drawn from Xenophon's Memorablia and Plato's dialogues amongst other classical sources

    XENOPHON; PLATO; COOPER, John Gilbert Jun. (editor).
    The Life of Socrates, 1771.
    £450.00

  • A handsome set of Montaigne's essays in English following the translation of Charles Cotton, in the publisher's original boards
    A handsome set of Montaigne's essays in English following the translation of Charles Cotton, in the publisher's original boards

    MONTAIGNE, Michel (Seigneur de).
    The Essays of Michael de Montaigne, 1811.
    £950.00

  • A rare Book of Fate on fortune-telling, printed in New York at the turn of the century, illustrated with woodcuts
    A rare Book of Fate on fortune-telling, printed in New York at the turn of the century, illustrated with woodcuts

    [FORTUNE-TELLING].
    The Book of Fate, 1823.
    £1,500.00

  • The first edition of this essay by J.S. Mill on The Subjetion of Women, advocating equality in the treatment of the sexes
    The first edition of this essay by J.S. Mill on The Subjetion of Women, advocating equality in the treatment of the sexes

    MILL, John Stuart.
    The Subjection of Women. 1869.
    £1,850.00

  • Aristotle's Theory of Poetry and Fine Art.
    Aristotle's Theory of Poetry and Fine Art.

    ARISTOTLE; BUTCHER, S.H. (translator and critic).
    Aristotle's Theory of Poetry and Fine Art. 1898.
    £400.00

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