“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it": Rare First Edition in English of Aristotle's Metaphysics
The Metaphysics of Aristotle, Translated from the Greek…To Which is Added, A Dissertation.
Aristotle; Translated by Thomas Taylor.
$6,000.00Item Number: 67062
London: Printed for the Author by Davis, Wilks, and Taylor, 1801.
First edition in English of the Metaphysics of Aristotle. Quarto, bound in full calf, gilt titles and elaborate tooling to the spine, black morocco spine label, gilt lined to the front and rear panels, marbled endpapers. In near fine condition, light browning. Translated by Thomas Taylor. A very nice example.
Metaphysics is one of the principal works of Aristotle and the first major work of the branch of philosophy with the same name. “It forms the highest step in Aristotle’s system, and deals with the first principles of all existence. Here he grapples with the deepest questions of philosophy” (Peck, 130). Translated by Thomas Taylor, a leading English classicist of the day. “In his knowledge of Plato and Aristotle he has never been equaled by any Englishman, and he is still the most important disseminator of ancient philosophy in the history of English and American literature. Taylor went on to complete all the works of Aristotle, but his introduction and important ‘Dissertation’ [which appear here] were not included in the Works” (Axon, 11). “This edition contains some valuable matter by the translator, not reprinted in the ninth volume of his complete translation of Aristotle’s Works” (Lowndes, 69).
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