First editions and antique editions of philosophical treatises, metaphysics, logic, ethics and critical thought from humanists to modern philosophers

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, one of the press service copies.

Sun-faded spine, boards marginally faded and sunned, as is usually the case.

Precious signed autograph inscription by André Malraux: "A Pierre Mac Orlan, introuvable, en témoignage de gratitude et de vieille sympathie."
 

First edition, one of the numbered copies on vélin d'archers, the only large paper issue.

First endpaper, half-title and title pages slightly shadowed, with a few pencil annotations and reading marks in the margins of some leaves.

Rare and pleasing copy.

First edition, one of 47 numbered copies on pure wove paper, the only deluxe issue.

A handsome copy.

Rare new edition based on the first French translation, produced in 1699 by William Popple and published by the Widow of J. van Dyck. A major work by Martin Clifford, originally published anonymously in 1674 under the title A Treatise of Humane Reason, which provoked immediate controversy within the Anglican Church; in the tradition of Spinoza and anticipating Locke, the author assigns a prominent role to reason in the practice of Christian faith. Clifford's more radical positions are thought to have been moderated in the French translation.

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.

A fine large-paper copy on vellum of the 1796 edition, which contains several previously unpublished texts by the author, a frontispiece portrait, 13 illustrations and 2 maps, engraved by Pierre-Alexandre Tardieu, Claude-Nicolas Malapeau, P. F. Tardieu, A. Girardet, Jean Louis Charles Pauquet, François Denis Née, Emmanuel-Jean-Népomucène de Ghendt, Charles Emmanuel Patas, Noël Le Mire and Vincent-Marie Langlois (in order of appearance).

Contemporary half long-grain red morocco bindings, smooth spines divided by...

First edition, one of 822 numbered copies on pur fil paper, the only deluxe paper issue after 109 reimposed copies.
A pleasing copy despite two small areas of sunning at the head and foot of the spine.

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 richly illustrated with reproductions of works by Francis Bacon in the second volume.

Text by Gilles Deleuze for the first volume.

The slipcase is lacking in our copy.

Spine and boards slightly and marginally sunned, as usual.

Inscribed copy signed by Gilles Deleuze to the art critic Gilbert Lascault in the first volume.

First edition for which no deluxe paper copies were issued.

Spine slightly sunned with small losses at head and foot, a slight marginal loss and a transverse crease to the lower cover.

A rare copy of Alexandra David-Néel's second work.

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 (cf. Cordier, Sinica, 1430).

Our copy is preserved in its original temporary grey paper wrappers.

This is the first memoir only of a monograph that was eventually completed in 648 pages.

Unlettered spine split with losses, chipped corners to the wrappers, occasional foxing throughout.

The engineer Edouard-Constant Biot (1803-1850), son of the mathematician Jean-Baptiste Biot, studied under Stanislas Julien and rapidly established himself as an outstanding sinologist whose scholarship remains authoritative today.

Provenance: From the library of the celebrated mathematician Michel Chasles (1793-1880), member of the Académie des sciences...

Offprint from this prestigious publication directed by François Albert-Buisson, President and Perpetual Secretary of the "Académie des Sciences Morales & Politiques", and Claude Pellegrin, editor-in-chief and attaché to the Academy. The text featured here, Le problème de l'éthique dans l'évolution de la pensée humaine (The Problem of Ethics in the Evolution of Human Thought), is the work of a newly elected member of the Academy, who had been a member for only a few months when this offprint was published, having taken the seat previously held by Marshal Pétain; namely...

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, one of 110 numbered copies on deluxe paper, our copy unnumbered, the only large-paper issue.

With a photographic portrait of Léon Blum as frontispiece.

Some scattered foxing, notably to the edges and endpapers; minor marginal tears to the covers, without significance.

An intriguing first edition, complete with its engraved frontispiece of the author by Giovanni Volpato after Domenico Corvi, and its introductory poem by the Abbé Luigi Godard. A copy unrecorded in non-European libraries according to WorldCat.

Contemporary binding of fawn mottled calf, smooth spine divided into five gilt compartments by gilt rolls, brown morocco lettering-piece, triple gilt fillet framing the boards, double gilt fillet on the board edges, blue speckled edges, and shell-pattern marbled pastedowns and endpapers.

The lower cap lacking, some surface...

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 of the French translation, one of 230 numbered copies on alfa paper.
With a preface by Romain Rolland.
A fine copy, the spine very slightly toned.

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 trade edition, partly original in its enlarged form.

A portion of the work had first appeared in 1832 in the Revue Encyclédique (May-June), and had been issued separately in a first offprint of 23 pages (cf. Cordier, Sinica, 1399-1340.)

Wrappers backed and restored, manuscript bookplate in the upper left corner of the title-page, a pleasing copy internally.

This is the Da Xue, the first of the Four Confucian Classics, first incorporated into the Li Ji (Book of Rites), then regarded from the Neo-Confucian revival of the Song period onward as a mirror for the Prince and likewise a mirror for subjects, centered on good government.

The Chinese characters were...

New edition of the French translation, this one by Abbé Pluquet (see Cordier, Sinica 1395-1396).

Contemporary half tan calf bindings over corners, smooth spines decorated with double gilt fillets, black calf title-pieces, some rubbing to spines and headcaps, marbled paper boards with some surface wear, a few corners slightly bumped, speckled edges, period bindings.

This French translation of Father François Noël’s Latin work includes the Observations on the moral and political philosophy of the Chinese legislators, The Great Learning, or the Science of Adults, The Doctrine of the Mean, The Book of Sentences, Meng Tsee or The Book of Mencius, Hiao-king, or The Book of Filial...

Very rare first edition illustrated with a folding map bound at the beginning of the volume and 44 plates.

No copy recorded by the CCFr.

Publisher's original full indigo-blue cloth, smooth spine decorated in gilt with dotted tooling and floral ornaments, covers framed with a blind rule, corners lightly bumped.

An amateur repair with adhesive tape to the upper right corner of the first text leaf, a few spots of foxing, chiefly affecting the edges.

The author served as secretary to the very first Brazilian mission sent to China (1880).

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 editions of two works by Baron Jean-Baptiste de Cloots, known as Anacharsis Cloots.

Contemporary half green basane bindings, green paper boards, smooth spines decorated with gilt fillets and dotted rolls, red basane title-labels, yellow edges. Bindings rubbed, some scuffing and losses, a few light corner creases. The "Lettres d'un jeune philosophe à un jeune théologien," a text intended to close La Certitude des preuves du Mahométisme, is bound in the first volume after the first part of the work. It is followed by the "Supplément à la certitude des preuves du mahométisme," and, also in the first volume, by another work by Cloots, the Lettre sur...

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...

First edition, with no copies printed on deluxe paper.

A very good copy.

Precious signed autograph inscription from Jean-François Lyotard to Pierre Vidal-Naquet.

First and complete edition in 7 issues of this review founded and directed by Emmanuel Berl and Pierre Drieu la Rochelle, one of the rare copies on Madagascar paper of which no mention is made.

Bound in half red morocco-grained shagreen with corners, spine with five raised bands set with black fillets, some very light traces of rubbing on spine, date and place gilt at foot, marbled paper boards, endpapers and pastedowns of moiré-effect and gilt paper, top edge gilt, contemporary binding signed by Lagadec, elected best craftsman of France in 1927.

Manuscript signature of Emmanuel Berl at...

First edition on ordinary paper despite a mention of twelfth edition.

Paper yellowed and slightly brittle at the edges, a small insignificant lack at the head of the leaves of the first gathering which was poorly cut.

Beautiful autograph inscription signed by André Malraux on the half-title page: "A André Germain - cet ancien portrait de moi-même où je ne me reconnais guère que par endroits - avec le fidèle souvenir et la sympathie d'André Malraux." (To André Germain - this old portrait of myself in which I hardly recognize myself except in places - with faithful memory and the sympathy of André Malraux.)
 

First edition in French, a Service de Presse (advance) copy.

Spine sunned with dampstains, pale dampstain to right margin of front board.

Autograph inscription signed by the translator Maurice Edgar Coindreau to Pierre Ripault.

First edition, one of 55 numbered copies on pur fil paper, most limited deluxe issue.
Endleaves and half-title slightly and partially shaded.
Exceedingly rare and handsome copy of this seminal text of modern feminism.

Our copy is housed in a custom gray clamshell box, square spine titled in red, author's name and subtitles in black, first panel hollowed revealing a black and white photograph of Simone de Beauvoir as a young woman under a plexiglass, title in red, author's name, first volume number and subtitle in black, second panel hollowed revealing a color photograph of the author in her prime under plexiglass, titled in red, author's name, second volume number and...