Lectures philosophiques

First edition, with no copies issued on deluxe paper.

A handsome copy.

With Pierre Bourdieu’s signed presentation inscription to the anthropologist Emmanuel Terray.

Third edition, revised, corrected, and enlarged with several important Additions by the author published posthumously, and with Remarks by the Translator (our own translation), with the portrait of John Locke by Godfrey Kneller, engraved by François Morellon de La Cave.

Contemporary full brown calf, spine with five raised bands decorated with gilt compartments, brown morocco lettering-piece, triple fillet border to covers in blind, red edges, marbled pastedowns and endpapers.

Headcaps missing, surface...

Very rare first edition, illustrated in each volume with a copper-engraved frontispiece by Tardieu after Monnet.

Half black grained cloth bindings, smooth spines decorated with blind fillets, marbled paper boards with light rubbing, sprinkled edges, modest late 19th-century bindings.

Some foxing and a few pale waterstains at the end of the second volume.

This work is an essay whose concerns are strikingly close to our own, though expressed in a very different context.

A founder of French ecological thought, the civil engineer François-Antoine Rauch (1762–1837) demonstrated the direct relationship between deforestation and the increase in extreme weather, calling...

Rare first edition (cf. Martin & Walter 25 395).

Contemporary half-sheepskin bindings, the spines smooth and gilt-ruled in double fillets, boards covered in rose-papered pasteboard, red sheepskin lettering-pieces and green volume labels, yellow edges; corners rubbed, bindings of the period.

Some rubbing and faint staining to the spines and boards with small losses to the rose paper, a tiny hole at the head of the spine of the first volume, scattered foxing and a few marks to the edges, not affecting the text.

Bound at the end of volume II is another work by the same author: "Appel au tribunal de l'opinion publique. Du rapport de M. Chabroud, et du décret rendu par...

First edition, one of 24 numbered copies on alfa paper, the only deluxe issue.

With sections devoted in particular to Cesare Pavese and Alberto Moravia...

A rare and attractive copy of Dominique Fernandez’s first published work.

Le Havre, Montivilliers and various places, 1786-1797. Twenty-one separately printed pamphlets bound together in one quarto volume, 19.2 x 25 cm.

Rare sammelband assembled by Jean-Baptiste-Jacques L'Aignel himself from the printed fragments of the legal, economic and political work to which he devoted the final decades of his life. Prospectuses, prefaces, prolegomena, speeches and appendices had been issued separately, mostly in Le Havre or nearby Montivilliers, to accompany a much larger undertaking that was never to reach its intended final form. Gathered here by their author...

First edition, with no copies printed on deluxe paper.

Minor spots to the covers, not affecting the condition.

Inscribed and signed by Georges Didi-Huberman to a friend named Annick.

First edition of the French translation, one of 200 copies numbered on Marais vellum, the only deluxe paper issue.

Minor rubbing along the joints. A rare and attractive copy.

First edition of the French translation, of which no copies were printed on deluxe paper, one of the review copies.

A few small spots on the slightly rubbed spine, light foxing mainly affecting the endpapers.

Very rare autograph inscription signed by Otto Rank: "à Monsieur Sébastien Charlety en hommage de ma très haute estime. Otto Rank."

The ‘Kehl edition’, the most renowned edition of Voltaire's works, illustrated and published on deluxe paper. It was printed on five different types of paper, and only the deluxe editions, such as ours on laid paper, feature engravings. These are naturally the most sought-after and rarest copies.

Binding in full painted sheep decorated with a “honeycomb” motif, smooth spine tooled with gilt fleurons, fillets and compartments, light beige calf lettering and volume pieces, gilt chain-roll border on covers, marbled endpapers, gilt roll on edges, all edges marbled, contemporary binding. Two volumes (nos. 50 and 70) with slight variations in gilt tools on the spines and...

First edition, printed in a small number of copies, of this offprint from the Revue de Paris dated 15 February 1906.

Émile Boutmy was the founder of the École libre des sciences politiques, which would later become the Institut d'études politiques de Paris, now widely known as Sciences Po.

Wrappers slightly toned at the margins, inevitable minor edge tears and small losses consistent with the fragile nature of the pamphlet.

Inscribed and signed by Lucien Lévy-Bruhl: "A Emile Durkheim, affectueusement, L.L.B."

First edition of the French translation. No grands papiers (deluxe copies) were printed.
Some loss of plastic film on the spine, two light damp-stains on the upper and lower edges.
Signed and dated by Andy Warhol with an original drawing on three pages: verso of the first cover, endpaper and title page.

First edition published in book form, expanded with the French translation established by G. Pauthier. (cf. Cordier, "Sinica", 1399-1340.)

A portion of the work had first appeared in 1832 in the "Revue Encyclopédique" of May–June, and was also issued separately in a 23-page printing.

The text is presented in French with a Latin version and the Chinese text facing.

The Chinese characters were produced using movable types engraved on steel punches and cast by Marcellin-Legrand, engraver to the Royal Printing Office.

A small angular loss at the foot of the lower cover required a minor restoration on the last page of the volume; slight, inconsequential tears at head...

Autograph letter signed and dated April 16, 1912, by Henri Bergson, addressed to M. Masson de Saint-Félix. Includes the original autograph envelope, bearing an inscription by the recipient: "Lettre de M. Bergson / Membre de l'Institut / mon professeur de philosophie au Lycée de Clermont Fd".

Touching letter of condolence from Henri Bergson to a former student from his philosophy class in Clermont-Ferrand, where he taught for five years — from 1883 to 1888 — at the Lycée Blaise-Pascal and the Faculty of Letters.

"Mon cher ami,

La nouvelle du grand deuil qui vous frappe me touche profondément. Laissez-moi vous envoyer...

Autograph card signed and dated 18 February 1909 by Henri Bergson, to Mr. Masson de Saint-Félix.

Two years after the publication of L'Evolution créatrice, Bergson expresses his gratitude to a former student from his philosophy class in Clermont-Ferrand, where he taught for five years — from 1883 to 1888 — at the Lycée Blaise-Pascal and the Faculty of Arts.

"Thank you, my dear friend, for your kind note. I hardly need to tell you how fondly I remember your time in my class at Clermont. I do not know whether I shall be able to visit Lozère any time soon, as you kindly encourage me to do; but if you happen to be in Paris, it would give...

First edition of the bilingual Greek-Latin text of Iamblichus' Life of Pythagoras by Ludolf Küster from the manuscript held at the Laurentian Library. The facing Latin translation is the work of Frédéric Ulrich Obrecht and Konrad Rittershausen. Bound at the end is Porphyry’s Life of Pythagoras.

Illustrated with a large frontispiece portrait of Pythagoras, based on a coin from the collection of Fulvio Orsini.

Contemporary Dutch gilt-panelled vellum boards, spine with 5 raised bands and gilt ornaments with the arms of the city of Amsterdam, large gilt arms of the city of Amsterdam...

First edition, one of 30 numbered copies on alfa paper, the only large paper copies along with a few hors commerce also printed on alfa.

A fine copy of this work dedicated to the memory of Simone Weil: "qui, si elle était morte assassinée, aurait consacré son dernier instant à prier pour ses bourreaux."

First edition of the French translation by Marie Bonaparte, one of 70 numbered copies on pur fil, the only deluxe paper copies.

Covers slightly and marginally toned, otherwise a handsome and rare copy.

The text is preceded by a translation of the short story Gradiva by Wilhelm Jensen, rendered by E. Zak and G. Sadoul.

It is followed by a psychoanalytic study of the dream and the fascination experienced by the young archaeologist Norbert Hanold for the image of a young woman sculpted in a bas-relief from the collections of the Museum of Rome.

First edition, one of 60 numbered copies on alfa paper, the only deluxe copies after 28 on pur fil.

A handsome copy.

First edition, one of 26 numbered copies on Vélin du Marais, the only deluxe copies.

Rare and appealing copy.

First collected edition of the author's works (see Quérard, V, 642; DSB, IX, 186–189; Poggendorff I, 85).

Printed in Dresden by George Conrad Walther ["Printed in Leipsic by Jean Gottlob Immanuel Breitkopf"]

Full mottled fawn calf, spine with five raised bands richly gilt in compartments with floral tools, red morocco label, joints restored, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, red edges; contemporary binding.

Some occasional foxing; restorations to the joints, edges and corners of the boards.

First edition of the "Works" of Maupertuis. Pages 95 to 142 contain the "Mesure de la terre au Cercle Polaire"; pages 311 to 326 feature the "Relation d'un Voyage fait dans la...

New edition. A steel-engraved portrait frontispiece, printed on China paper and mounted. Printed in very small type, arranged in two columns.

Full polished blond calf binding, signed by Thouvenin at foot of spine. Smooth spine with blind-stamped Gothic architectural elements heightened with gilt dots, gilt fillets and title. Covers blind-stamped with a large Gothic window surrounded by architectural ornaments. Multiple blind-ruled frames with corner fleurons and gilt fillets. Inner dentelles. All edges gilt. Joints discreetly cracked at head. Some foxing and occasional browning to a few pages. Minor rubbing. Spine slightly dulled. A handsome copy.

First edition, with no deluxe copies printed on special paper.

A handsome copy.

Inscribed and signed by Pierre Bourdieu to a friend named Emmanuel.

First edition.

Contemporary full tree-grained sheepskin, spine with five raised bands, gilt compartments and fleurons between the bands, blond leather lettering-pieces, gilt fillet to the board edges, shell-paper pastedowns, red edges. Some rubbing and losses, corners lightly bumped, upper corner of the rear board damaged, a manufacturing flaw to the pastedowns, minor foxing and soiling.

The fundamental work of sensualist philosophy, in a strictly contemporary binding.

First edition, printed in a small number of copies, of these extracts from the Cahiers de la Pléiade.

A few stains to the boards, with small red ink stains on the first page of Michel Tapié's text.

Signed presentation inscription from Henri Michaux to his friend, the painter and draughtsman Bernard Saby: "Les hommes qui ne donnent pas leur adresse ne craignent pas les exorcismes. Mais tout de même où est-il ce Saby? H.M."

Inspired both by his investigations into serial music and by his use of mescaline and hashish, Bernard Saby's painting aroused keen interest among his contemporaries. In 1956, his friend Henri Michaux gave him space in...

First edition, privately printed in a small number of copies as an offprint from issue No. 6 of the review Hermès, devoted to the theme of emptiness, of which Henri Michaux was the first editor-in-chief.

A few stains to the upper wrapper.

Signed autograph inscription by Henri Michaux to his friend, the painter and draughtsman Bernard Saby: "Quelques mots encore amicalement à Bernard Saby. Henri Michaux."

Inspired both by his investigations into serial music and by his experiments with mescaline and hashish, Bernard Saby's painting aroused keen interest among his contemporaries. In 1956, his friend Henri Michaux welcomed him into the pages of...

First edition, one of 45 numbered copies on hollande, most limited deluxe issue.

Contemporary full red morocco, spine with four raised bands framed with black fillets, date gilt at foot, taupe morocco doublures, red silk endleaves, gilt fillets and dots to board edges, all edges gilt, slipcase, an elegant binding signed Favre-Petit-Mermet.

A fine copy, handsomely bound in full morocco with morocco doublures by Favre-Petit-Mermet.

First edition, one of 1,040 numbered copies on chestnut paper.
Publisher's boards after the original design by Mario Prassinos.
Spine very lightly sunned, otherwise a fine copy.

First edition on ordinary paper.

A crease to the lower right corner of the upper cover, a library shelf-mark to the upper left corner of the half-title page, which also bears, at its foot, a library stamp overprinted with the word "cancelled".

On the same half-title page, a signed autograph inscription by Alain: "A Monsieur Prulhières et vivent les lions ! Alain. Le 5 juillet 1935."

First edition, one of 35 numbered copies on hollande paper, top-of-edition issue.

A very fine copy.

First edition, one of 50 numbered copies on Arches wove paper, the sole deluxe issue.

Spine slightly sunned.

A rare and pleasing copy.

Illustrated edition featuring 4 original lithographs by Picasso, printed by Mourlot, one of 430 numbered copies on wove paper, the only issue after 5 copies on japon and 95 on Arches wove paper.

A pleasing copy.

First edition, one of 60 numbered copies on mustard popset paper, the deluxe issue.
Illustrated with drawings by René Magritte.
A very good copy.
Our copy is complete with the additional suite of letters and drawings by René Magritte issued with the deluxe copies.

First edition, one of 110 numbered copies on alfa paper, the only deluxe paper copies.

Frontispiece with a photographic portrait of Léon Blum.

A pleasant copy.

First edition of the French translation, for which no deluxe paper copies were issued.

A very slight loss to the head of the spine.

A rare and pleasing copy.

First edition, with no deluxe paper copies issued.

Two small, insignificant tears at the head and foot of a joint.

A pleasant copy.

First edition, of which no deluxe paper copies were issued.

A pleasing copy.

Signed autograph inscription from Georges Didi-Huberman to a couple of friends named Dominique and Danielle: "... cette trace d'année ombre. Je n'oublie pas vos paroles de coeur..."

First edition of the French translation, one of 110 numbered copies on alfa paper, the only deluxe paper issue after 10 on Holland and 20 on pur fil.

A fine copy.

First edition, one of 100 hors commerce copies printed on deluxe paper, this copy specially printed for Louis Barthou.

A pleasant copy despite two sunning marks to the head and foot of the spine and to the margins of the rear board.

Henri Bergson's handwritten signature beneath the limitation statement.

First edition of the French translation prepared by Alexandre Vialatte, one of the complimentary copies.

A manuscript ex-dono erased in the upper right corner of the half-title page, resulting in a small loss of paper.

Signed autograph inscription by Alexandre Vialatte to Albert Thibaudet.

First edition, printed in small numbers, of this offprint from the “Journal de la Société des Américanistes”. No deluxe issue printed. Skilful restauration to cover.

Rare presentation copy signed by Claude Lévi-Strauss to Simone de Beauvoir: “Cet humble aspect de la malédiction féminine, en amical hommage de Claude Lévi-Strauss” (“this humble aspect of the feminine curse, in friendly homage”) on the upper cover. This fieldwork study of the Nambikwara from Lévi-Strauss’ 1938 ethnographic expedition directly influenced Beauvoir, who...

First edition, with no copies printed on deluxe paper.

A very good copy.

Inscribed by Maurice Druon to a friend named Henri: "... pour les souvenirs d'une année de travail qui devint une année d'amitié."

First edition, one of 170 numbered copies on deluxe paper.

Fine copy preserved in its double wrapper.

First edition, one of 45 numbered copies printed on Rajasthan jute paper, the only deluxe issue.

Manuscript signature of Emil Cioran at the colophon.

Spine very slightly faded, of no significance.

Rare and fine copy, complete with the three tantric paintings reproduced hors-texte in colour on cream paper.

First quarto edition, complete with all volumes and plates, commonly referred to as the “Third Edition” of the Encyclopédie, and also known as the “Encyclopédie de Pellet” or “Encyclopédie de Lyon” or “Encyclopédie du Lac” by Simon-Nicolas-Henri Linguet.

Full marbled and polished brown sheepskin contemporary bindings, spines with five raised bands and four gilt compartments decorated with pomegranate gilt tools, two gilt decorative rolls at foot, title and volume lettering-pieces in red and green morocco, boards twice framed in blind, board edges gilt, all red edges, marbled pastedowns and...

First edition, one of 200 numbered copies on “light green paper,” the only deluxe paper issue announced.

Turquoise half morocco binding, smooth spine, date in gilt at foot, marbled paper boards, endpapers, and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt; an elegant contemporary binding signed by G. Gauché.

A very handsome copy, finely bound by Georges Gauché and complete with its publisher's prospectus. 

Signed presentation inscription by René Crevel: "My dear Georges, here, in its finest form: Diderot’s Harpsichord, if you can help him play his music? With all my affection. René" (our own...

First edition, printed in a small number of copies, issued as an offprint from the Bibliothèque de vulgarisation du Musée Guimet, vol. XXXVI. 

Essentially a concise introduction to the Daodejing (Tao te King in EFEO transcription).

Spine rebacked, with losses; corner losses to the wrappers, which are tending to detach; internally in pleasing condition.

Rare, but sold as is.

First edition of this substantially abridged French adaptation of Johann David Michaelis's Mosaisches Recht, published in Bordeaux in 1785 under the name of M. Senger.  Quatro; xii pp., 2 unnumbered leaves of preface and contents, 270 pp., one unnumbered privilege leaf.

Contemporary full mottled tan calf, smooth spine richly gilt in compartments with floral tools, dark green calf lettering-piece, gilt rolls at head and foot, covers framed with a triple gilt fillet, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, sprinkled edges. Restorations to spine and joints, internally a pleasing copy.

First edition, with no copies printed on deluxe paper.

A pleasant copy.

On the half-title page, autograph inscription signed by Jean-Claude Carrière to the writer, essayist, and pianist Catherine David: "... qui m'ouvrît avec grâce la lourde porte du temps, je m'incline sur son passage avec amitié."

On the front endpaper, autograph inscription signed by Umberto Eco to the same recipient.

First edition, no copies on deluxe paper issued.

Half light brown morocco binding, flat spine with author stamped in gilt and title stamped in gilt lengthwise, gilt date at foot, brown stingray boards framed in morocco, brown suede endpapers and pastedowns, original covers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, elegant binding signed Thomas Boichot.

Manuscript ex-libris in black ink and a slight restoration to the upper right corner of the first...

A unique combination of French translations of the first two philosophical works on the Sublime, marking the beginning of the most important reflection on aesthetics in Western history.
Extremely rare first edition of the first French translation of a philosophical work by Immanuel Kant, and the second ever translation of a Kantian text. The others were only translated during the 19th century. Illustrated with a portrait of the author by Benezy. The first edition in German was published in 1764 in Königsberg under the title "Beobachtungen über das Gefühl des Schönen und Erhabenen".
Contemporary half brown roan binding with vellum corners, smooth...

To make the strength of marriage consist in that of love is to go so far as to misunderstand the spirit of this institution.