Philosophy
Rare Philosophy Books for Sale Online
Raptis Rare Books is a trusted antiquarian book dealer of rare and first edition philosophy books. You can view our full collection of these rare philosophy books below where you can sort by title, price, or date to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.
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Rare First Edition of Herodotus' Historiae, in Greek
HERODOTUS; EDITED BY ALDUS MANUTIUS,.
Historiae, In Greek.
Venice: Aldus Manutius, September, 1502.
Rare first edition of Herodotus‘ history of the Persian Wars, one of the most important texts edited by the great scholar-printer-publisher. Folio, bound in contemporary vellum, woodcut title in Greek and Roman letter, verso with dedication in Latin, text in Greek letter throughout with spaces for capital letters, woodcut device on title and last page. Aldus claims in the dedication that he corrected the text from multiple exemplars, one of the few instances where such a claim by him is justified and can be verified. He was the first to have access to the ‘Florentine’ codices, where Valla had used the so-called Roman family of manuscripts for his translation. The printer’s copy was discovered in Nuremberg by Brigitte Mondrain in 1993 (Scriptorium 49 [1995], pp. 263-273). The History was designed to match the Aldine Thucydides of four months earlier: they share a paper stock, all types and the number of lines per page. Ahmanson-Murphy 50; Isaac 12782; Laurenziana 64; Renouard, Alde 35:8; Sansoviniana 67. In excellent condition with light rubbing and wear, bookplates to the pastedown, some light toning to the text, occasional Greek and Latin annotations in a c.17th-century hand, small repairs to the final four leaves. An exceptional example of this landmark work, rare and desirable in contemporary vellum.
Price: $32,000.00 Item Number: 96588
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Extremely rare first Latin edition of Galileo's revolutionary Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems
GALILEI, Galileo.
Systema Cosmicum in Quo Quatuor Dialogis, de Duobus Maximis Mundi Systematibus, Ptolemaico et Copernicano. [Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems].
Strasbourg: D. Hauttius for the Elzevir, 1635.
Rare first Latin edition of Galileo’s epoch-making Dialogo, the summation of the extraordinary mathematician’s astronomical thought and the work which directly precipitated his 1663 trial and judgement for heresy. Preceded only by the 1632 edition in Italian. Small octavo, bound in full contemporary vellum, engraved additional title page, full page engraved frontispiece portrait of Galileo by Jacob van der Heyden, woodcut diagrams, with the final leaf of errata. This Latin edition includes two tracts in the appendix not in the Italian edition of 1632, and it is the only major work of Galileo’s to be published outside Italy during his lifetime. The two added Latin tracts are the introduction to Kepler’s Astronomia nova (pp. 459-464), and a letter by Paolo Antonio Foscarini defending the truth of Copernicanism and rebutting the charge that it conflicted with scripture (pp. 465-495). With the appendix by P.A. Foscarini which contains an attempt to reconcile the Copernican views with the Holy Scripture. In near fine condition. Exceptionally rare, as the work was rigidly suppressed from the start.
Price: $28,000.00 Item Number: 93890
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THE FIRST JEWISH TRANSLATION OF THE PENTATEUCH INTO ENGLISH
LEESER, Isaac.
The Law of God.
Philadelphia: C. Sherman, 5605, 1845-46.
First edition of the “first English translation of the Pentateuch in America,” the 1845 Hebrew-English Bible by one of the most prominent and influential figures in American Jewish history. Octavo, 5 volumes. Translated by Isaac Leeser. Bound in contemporary polished calf, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, rebacked. Lightly rubbed, moderate wear. A very nice example of a scarce and important work.
Price: $22,500.00 Item Number: 49020
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“The starting point of all achievement is DESIRE. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat": Rare First Edition of Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich; Signed by Him
HILL, Napoleon.
Think and Grow Rich.
CT: Ralston Society, 1937.
First edition of this classic bestseller, which has sold over 100 million copies. Octavo, original cloth. Boldly signed by Napoleon Hill on the front free endpaper. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. This is the first example of a first printing we have seen signed. Rare and desirable.
Price: $22,500.00 Item Number: 89533
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THE FIRST JEWISH TRANSLATION OF THE PENTATEUCH INTO ENGLISH
LEESER, Isaac.
The Law of God.
Philadelphia: C. Sherman, 5605, 1845-46.
First edition of the “first English translation of the Pentateuch in America,” the 1845 Hebrew-English Bible by one of the most prominent and influential figures in American Jewish history. Octavo, 5 volumes. Translated by Isaac Leeser. Bound in contemporary embossed decorative leather, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, front and rear panels, all edges gilt. Given as a wedding gift in London to Emily Sarah [Davis] by her new father-in-law Jacob Franklin, 12 December 1866. The groom was Lewis Abraham Franklin (1820-1879), who had gone to California in the Gold Rush, living in San Francisco from 1849 to 1855 and then in San Diego until 1860 before returning to England. In very good condition, inscribed in English and Hebrew on front flyleaf and half-title by Jacob Franklin. An exceptional presentation.
Price: $22,500.00 Item Number: 113020
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First Edition in English of Hugo Grotius' foundational work: On the Law of War and Peace
GROTIUS, Hugo.
The Illustrious Hugo Grotius of The Law of Warre and Peace with Annotations in III. Parts and Memorials of the Author’s Life and Death.
London: Printed for T. Warren and William Lee, 1655.
First edition in English of Grotius’ foundational work on international law. Small octavo, bound in full contemporary calf with red morocco spine label lettered in gilt, engraved frontispiece portrait of the author. In very good condition. Rare, with no other examples appearing at auction in the last 80 years.
Price: $22,500.00 Item Number: 111091
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“Justice is the first virtue of social institutions, as truth is of systems of thought": First Edition of John Rawls Magnum Opus A Theory of Justice; Signed by Him
RAWLS, John.
A Theory of Justice.
Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1971.
First edition of the author’s masterpiece. Octavo, original cloth. Signed by John Rawls on the front free endpaper. Near fine in an excellent dust jacket with some rubbing. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Books signed by Rawls are rare.
Price: $22,000.00 Item Number: 99758
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“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves": First Edition of Viktor Frankl's Classic Work Man's Search For Meaning; Signed by Him
FRANKL, Viktor E.
From Death-Camp To Existentialism [Man’s Search For Meaning].
Boston: Beacon Press, 1959.
First edition in English of Frankl’s classic work, which was later titled Man’s Search For Meaning in 1962. Octavo, original cloth. Boldly signed by Viktor Frankl on the title page. Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Translated by Ilse Lasch. Preface by Gordon Allport. Originally published in German, in 1946 under the name Ein Psycholog erlecbt das konzentrationslager. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Signed first editions are exceptionally rare and desirable.
Price: $22,000.00 Item Number: 105790
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First Edition in English of "One of the Most Important Texts of the Twentieth Century" Martin Heidegger's Being and Time; Signed by Him
HEIDEGGER, Martin.
Being and Time.
New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1962.
First edition in English of the book that “changed the course of philosophy” (Richard Rorty). Octavo, original cloth. Signed by Martin Heidegger on the front free endpaper. Fine in a very good dust jacket with some wear to the rear panel. Translated by John Macquarrie and Edward Robinson. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Exceptionally rare signed, as no signed examples have appeared at auction in the last 50 years.
Price: $20,000.00 Item Number: 35056
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“All the sacred rights of humanity are violated by insisting on blind obedience”: First edition of Mary Wollstonecraft's landmark work A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
WOLLSTONECRAFT, Mary.
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: With Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects.
London: J. Johnson, 1792.
Rare first edition of this landmark work in both Enlightenment philosophy and the history of feminism. Octavo, bound in full morocco, marbled endpapers. In near fine condition with some light toning to the text, contemporary name to the title page. Housed in a custom slipcase. An exceptional example.
Price: $20,000.00 Item Number: 110854
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One of the Earliest Calligraphic Works by Thomas Merton
MERTON, Thomas.
Thomas Merton Original Calligraphic Artwork.
Original signed artwork from Thomas Merton. In the last decade of his life, while living as a hermit-monk in dialogue with the world, Thomas Merton created a body of visual art, drawing from the Zen Buddhist tradition. When he was a student at Columbia University, Merton sought out a Hindu monk named Bramachari for counsel. The monk advised Merton to follow his own Christian tradition to find what he was most deeply looking for. A strong admirer of Gandhi, Merton also noted how Gandhi, a Hindu, had found a congenial ‘ second home’ of sorts in the Christian Sermon on the Mount. In the 1950’s Merton began exploring Buddhism, especially Zen Buddhism. He thought he found some resonance between Zen and the Desert Fathers. Merton sent a copy of his study of the Desert Fathers to Daisetsu Suzuki, the leading exponent of Zen in the west. They began a long correspondence in the late 1950’s, and Suzuki’s influence can be seen in Merton’s artwork. Includes a letter from activist W.H. Ferry, which reads, “4/3/68 For Mary Sue Dilliard: Daisetsu Suzuki told Father Tom Merton in 1965 that the only way finally to understand Zen was to practice calligraphy. This is the result: one of Tom’s earliest calligraphs. W.H. Ferry.” On the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions letterhead, which Ferry was the Vice President. Matted and framed, which measures 13 inches by 15 inches. Calligraphy drawing measures 9 inches by 12.5 inches. On the verso of the frame, it includes various Merton material including numerous clippings. Original artwork by Merton is exceptionally rare in the marketplace.
Price: $20,000.00 Item Number: 17032
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The Indian War of Independence of 1857; signed by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and from the famed library of Raja Shamraj Rajwant Bahadur
SAVARKAR, Vinayak Damodar.
The Indian War of Independence of 1857.
, c. 1909.
First edition in English of this highly influential work on the history of the 1857 rebellion by “one of the makers of free India.” Octavo, original cloth with gilt titles to the spine and front panel, patterned endpapers, folding map. Signed by the author on the half-title page. From the famed library of Raja Shamraj Rajwant Bahadur with his ownership initials and library notes to the front free endpaper noting that the book was “purchased on 1-3-1943” (prior to Gandhi’s assassination) and that the author’s autograph was obtained subsequently on 23-12-1957 in Bombay. Indian nobleman Raja Shamraj Rajwant Bahadur assembled India’s greatest library, famed for its diverse collection of rare antiquarian manuscripts and important books. Tipped in is a 1958 newspaper clipping from The Times of India adhered to the pastedown which reads in part, “Dr. C.P. Ramaswami Alyar said here today that the Indian people owed a debt of gratitude to Mr. V.D. Savarkar for his contribution to revolutionary thought and as such he was entitled as being one of the makers of free India.” In very good condition. Uncommon, the only signed example of this work we have seen.
Price: $20,000.00 Item Number: 106594
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“The timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness. And knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream": Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet; lengthily inscribed by him
GIBRAN, Kahlil.
The Prophet.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1923.
First edition, early printing of the author’s masterpiece. Octavo, original cloth, with illustrations by the author. Association copy, lengthily inscribed by Kahlil Gibran on the title page, “This is for Elenor Fisch, who lives in the world of beautiful understanding. Kahlil Gibran, 1926.” From the library of D. Rajagopal with his library stamp to the front pastedown. Rajagopal was the lifelong friend and editor of Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti, the leader of the Theosophy movement in the early 20th century, and one of its most famous figures. In his teachings, Krishnamurti stressed the necessity for a revolution of human consciousness, which could only occur with radical religious, political, and social change. Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Rare and desirable signed and with noted provenance.
Price: $19,500.00 Item Number: 96203
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THE FIRST JEWISH TRANSLATION OF THE PENTATEUCH INTO ENGLISH
LEESER, Isaac.
The Law of God.
Philadelphia: C. Sherman, 5605, 1845-46.
First edition of the “first English translation of the Pentateuch in America,” the 1845 Hebrew-English Bible by one of the most prominent and influential figures in American Jewish history. Octavo, 5 volumes. Translated by Isaac Leeser. Bound in full contemporary calf, gilt titles and tooling to the spine. In near fine condition. A nice example, rare in contemporary binding.
Price: $18,500.00 Item Number: 78547
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“In any society freedom of thought will probably be of direct significance only for a small minority": First Edition of F.A. Hayek's The Road To Serfdom; In the Rare Original Dust Jacket
HAYEK, Friedrich August von [F.A.].
The Road To Serfdom.
London: Routledge & Sons, 1944.
First British edition of one of the most influential and popular expositions of classical liberalism ever published. Octavo, original black cloth. Very good in the rare original dust jacket with some rubbing and wear to the extremities. The British edition was published in March of 1944, preceding its American counterpart, which was published later that same year in September. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box.
Price: $18,500.00 Item Number: 105942
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“Though freedom is not a state of nature but an artifact of civilization, it did not arise from design: FIRST EDITION OF THE ECONOMIST’S CLASSIC WORK, THE CONSTITUTION OF LIBERTY; SIGNED BY F.A. HAYEK
HAYEK, Friedrich August von [F.A.].
The Constitution of Liberty.
London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1960.
First edition of Hayek’s classic statement on the ideals of freedom and liberty. Octavo, original cloth. Boldly signed by F.A. Hayek on the title page. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box.
Price: $18,500.00 Item Number: 3502
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First Edition of F.A. Hayek’s Classic Treatise The Constitution of Liberty; Signed by Him
HAYEK, Friedrich August von [F.A.].
The Constitution of Liberty.
Chicago: The University of Chicago, 1960.
First edition of Hayek’s classic statement on the ideals of freedom and liberty. Octavo, original cloth. Boldly signed by F.A. Hayek on the title page. Fine in a near fine dust price-clipped jacket with a few small closed tears. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box.
Price: $18,000.00 Item Number: 99700
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“Man is by nature a social animal; an individual who is unsocial naturally and not accidentally is either beneath our notice or more than human": Exceptionally Rare First Edition in English of Aristotle's A Treatise on Government
ARISTOTLE; TRANSLATED BY WILLIAM ELLIS,.
A Treatise on Government. Translated From The Greek of Aristotle.
London: T. Payne, 1776.
First edition in English of this important work on government by Aristotle. Quarto, bound in three quarters leather over marbled boards. In very good condition with light toning to the text and wear. Bookseller plate of George Gregory, Bath, Sept. 22, 1936 on the front pastedown. Translated by William Ellis. First editions are rare, with the last example appearing at auction in 1914.Price: $16,000.00 Item Number: 81182
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“Only the refusal to listen guarantees one against being ensnared by the truth": Rare First Edition of Robert Nozick's Anarchy, State, and Utopia; Signed by Him
NOZICK, Robert.
Anarchy, State, and Utopia.
New York: Basic Books, 1974.
First edition of the author’s foundational text in classic liberalism thought. Octavo, original cloth. Boldly signed by Robert Nozick on the half-title page. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with light rubbing. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Signed first editions are exceptionally rare; this is the first example we have seen or handled.
Price: $16,000.00 Item Number: 35003
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"Mary Baker Eddy was far ahead of her time in the emphasis she placed upon positive thinking, a force which modern psychology was belated in recognizing": Mary Baker Eddy's Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures; inscribed by her to her cousin, the daughter of President Franklin Pierce
EDDY, Mary Baker.
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.
Boston: Published by the Author, 1886.
Early printing of the central text of the Christian Science which continues to rank as a best-seller to this day. Octavo, bound in contemporary three quarters morocco over marbled boards, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, marbled endpapers, all edges marbled. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the second free endpaper in the year of publication, “Mrs. F. McNeil Potter, with love from the Author, 1886.” The recipient, Frances Maria McNeil Potter was the niece of President Franklin Pierce and his sometimes hostess in the White house, assisting First Lady Jane Pierce after the death of the president’s son Benny. In the winter of 1882, Mary Baker Eddy visited Washington, where “Mrs. Potter caller on [her] several times and showed considerable interest in Christian Science. Together they drove to the Botanical Gardens, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Congressional Cemetery where they knelt at the grave of General John McNeil, Mrs. Potter’s father and the cousin of Mrs. Eddy’s grandmother, Maryann McNeil Moore” (Peel, Mary Baker Eddy: The Years of Discovery). Potter and Eddy’s correspondence continued until Potter’s death and Potter remained one of Eddy’s biggest supporters when many distanced themselves from the religious leader and the founding of the Church of Christ, Scientist. In very good condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Books signed and inscribed by Mary Baker Eddy are rare.
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 90463
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"what first attracts our interest in the person of Moses is his name": First Edition of Freud's Moses And Monotheism; Inscribed by Him To His Niece
FREUD, Sigmund.
Moses And Monotheism.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1939.
First American edition of last book written and published in Sigmund Freud’s lifetime. Presentation copy, inscribed on the front free endpaper, “To dear Poppy from Uncle Sigm. London 1939.” The eldest daughter of Freud’s elder brother, Philipp, Pauline “Poppy” Freud was born in 1873 when Sigmund was seventeen years old. Freud visited Pauline and her parents in Manchester, England periodically throughout her childhood and maintained correspondence with Pauline well into her adulthood, visiting her and her husband, Frederick Oswald Hartwig, in London in 1939. Near fine in a very good dust jacket with some wear to the extremities. Housed in a custom clamshell box. Freud association copies of this magnitude seldom enter the marketplace.
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 67018
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Etching of Albert Einstein by Erich Buttner; Signed by Both Einstein and Buttner
EINSTEIN, Albert; Erich Buttner.
Albert Einstein Signed Etching.
1917.
Rare large etching of Albert Einstein done by well-known artist Erich Buttner. Signed by both Einstein and Buttner. In fine condition. Double matted and framed, the entire piece measures 12.25 inches by 15 inches. An exceptional piece. In the 1920s he created a series of portraits of his friends and fellow artists including Lovis Corinth, George Grosz, Arno Holz and Heinrich Zille. He produced a very fine book of exlibris (bookplates) in Berlin 1921. This book contains the exlibris of Albert Einstein 1917, probably Einstein’s only bookplate. The etching measures 12.5 inches by 9.5 inches. Double matted and framed. The entire piece measures 18.75 inches by 15.75 inches.
Price: $14,000.00 Item Number: 112748
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“Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change”: Presentation Copy of The First Edition of Stephen Hawking's The Universe In A Nutshell
HAWKING, Stephen .
The Universe In A Nutshell.
London: Bantam, 2001.
First British edition of Hawking’s sequel to A Brief History of Time. Quarto, original boards, illustrated. Presentation copy, with Stephen Hawking’s thumbprints on the title page. Witnessed by K. Thurkettle, and dated 21.07.14 and inscription from Hawking in Thurkettle’s hand, “To Jimmy Bridson “Look up at the stars and not down at your feet…” Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box.
Price: $13,500.00 Item Number: 102988
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“If I didn't try to assume responsibility for my own existence, it would seem utterly absurd to go on existing": First Editions of each volume in Jean Paul Sartre's Roads to Freedom trilogy; with two volumes inscribed by him
SARTRE, Jean Paul.
Les Chemins de la Liberté: L’age de Raison, Le Sursis, La Mort Dans L’ame. [The Roads to Freedom: The Age of Reason, The Reprieve, Troubled Sleep.
Paris: Gallimard, 1945-1949.
First editions of all three volumes in Sartre’s Roads to Freedom trilogy. Octavo, original wrappers and illustrated boards. L’age de Raison and Le Sursis are inscribed by Jean Paul Sartre, “A Monsieur Robert Moureau hommage de Je Sartre.” Each volume is in near fine condition. L’age de Raison and Le Sursis retain the original glassine. Rare and desirable signed by Sartre.
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 116309