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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“It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied": Rare First Edition of John Stuart Mill's Utilitarianism; Signed by Him
MILL, John Stuart.
Utilitarianism.
London: Parker, Son and Bourn, 1863.
First edition of the author’s landmark work. Octavo, original cloth, publisher’s advertisements. Presentation copy, signed by John Stuart Mill on the title page, “From the author.” From the library of Helen and William Belknap with their bookplate to the pastedown and his ownership stamp. William Burke Belknap was an economist and a professor of economics at the University of Louisville. Leading up to and during World War II, he volunteered for service with the Red Cross in Ramsay and Plymouth, England. A trustee of Berea College and a graduate of Yale and Harvard, he served two terms as a representative in the Kentucky General Assembly. We cannot trace another signed first edition in the past 100 years. Rare and desirable.
Price: $72,000.00 Item Number: 124105
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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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Rare Carte-de-Visite of John Stuart Mill; Signed by Him
MILL, John Stuart.
John Stuart Mill Signed Carte-de-Visite.
Carte-de-visite signed by philosopher John Stuart Mill. 2.5 inches by 4 inches. Matted and framed. The entire piece measures 9.75 inches by 8 inches. Rare and desirable signed.
Price: $9,800.00 Item Number: 33088
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FIRST EDITION OF THE COUNTER-REVOLUTION OF SCIENCE; SIGNED BY F.A. HAYEK
HAYEK, Friedrich August von [F.A.].
The Counter-Revolution of Science: Studies on the Abuse of Reason.
Glencoe, Illinois: The Free Press, 1952.
First edition of Hayek’s critique of reason, written at the same time as The Road to Serfdom. Octavo, original cloth. Fine in a very good dust jacket. Signed by F.A. Hayek on the front free endpaper. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Rare and desirable signed.
Price: $8,800.00 Item Number: 3645
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First Edition of Karl Popper's Conjectures and refutations; Inscribed by Him to Rudolf Serkin
POPPER, Karl.
Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge.
New York: Basic Books, 1962.
First edition of this major work by Popper. Octavo, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “To Rudi greatest of pianists and for me the only one with love from Karl March 28th, 1963.” The recipient, Rudolf Serkin, is widely regarded as one of the greatest Beethoven interpreters of the 20th century and was a lifelong friend of Popper’s. Popper and Serkin met in Salzkammergut, Austria in 1919 and their friendship lasted until Serkin’s death in 1991. In 1934, Serkin asked his mother-in-law, Frieda Busch, to bring Popper’s Logik der Forschung (The Logic of Scientific Discovery as it first appeared in German) to the attention of Albert Einstein as the young author did not have an academic position and needed assistance in gaining attention in the scientific community. Einstein responded warmly upon receipt of the book and endorsed the philosophy on all of its essential points. His endorsement created a stir in Vienna and beyond and the book soon received praise from other giants in the field including Rudolf Carnap, Oskar Morgenstern, and Freidrich Hayek. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. An exceptional association.
Price: $7,800.00 Item Number: 77942
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“Working on the right things is what makes knowledge work effective": First Edition of Peter F. Drucker's The Effective Executive; Signed by Him
DRUCKER, Peter F.
The Effective Executive.
New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1967.
First edition of Drucker’s classic work. Octavo, original cloth. Boldly signed by Peter F. Drucker on the front free endpaper. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with light rubbing. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Rare and desirable signed.
Price: $7,800.00 Item Number: 23008
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"THE KEY FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF HIS THOUGHT": FIRST EDITION OF THE SENSORY ORDER; INSCRIBED BY F.A. HAYEK TO FRIEND AND FELLOW UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PROFESSOR DAVID GRENE
HAYEK, Friedrich August von [F.A.].
The Sensory Order. An Inquiry Into the Foundations of Theoretical Psychology.
Chicago: University of Chicago, 1952.
First edition of Hayek’s foundational study of cognitive behavior—”an exercise in profound thinking.” Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “To David Grene with all the best wishes from F.A.H. Nov. 52.” The recipient David Grene, was a professor of classics at the University of Chicago and co-founder of the Committee on Social Thought. In 1950, Hayek left the London School of Economics for the University of Chicago, where he became a professor in the Committee on Social Thought. Near fine in the rare dust jacket with some wear to the spine and extremities. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. A nice association.
Price: $6,800.00 Item Number: 4495
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First Edition of Peter Drucker's Landmark Work Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices; Signed by Him
DRUCKER, Peter F.
Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices.
New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1974.
First edition of this management classic. Octavo, original red cloth. Boldly signed Peter Drucker on the front free endpaper. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with touch of rubbing. Jacket design by Roy La Grone. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Rare and desirable signed.
Price: $4,800.00 Item Number: 44009
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First Edition of Peter Drucker's Landmark Work Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices; Signed by Him
DRUCKER, Peter F.
Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices.
New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1974.
First edition of this management classic. Octavo, original red cloth. Boldly signed Peter Drucker on the front free endpaper. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with touch of rubbing. Jacket design by Roy La Grone. Rare and desirable signed.
Price: $4,000.00 Item Number: 117889
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First Edition of The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism; Inscribed by Daniel Bell to Harvard Colleague George Homans
BELL, Daniel.
The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism.
New York: Basic Books, Inc. Publishers, 1976.
First edition of the author’s magnum opus. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by Daniel Bell on the front free endpaper a month before publication, “For George and Nancy Homans with affectionate regards, Dan Bell Dec. 18, 1975.” The recipient, George Homans was a sociologist, founder of behavioral sociology and a colleague of Bell’s at Harvard University. He is known for his research in social behavior and his works including The Human Group, Social Behavior: Its Elementary Forms, his Exchange Theory and the many different propositions he enforced to better explain social behavior. A few pencil notes in the text by Homans, fine in a near fine dust jacket. An excellent association, linking these two intellectual giants.
Price: $3,800.00 Item Number: 16092
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Karl Popper's Conjectures and refutations; Inscribed by Him to Lionel Robbins
POPPER, Karl.
Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge.
London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1965.
Second edition of this major work by Popper. Octavo, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “To Lionel, the most generously appreciative of readers from Karl June 1965.” The recipient Lionel Robbins was a prominent member of the economics department at the London School of Economics and a close friend and colleague of Popper. The pair were colleagues for over twenty years, with Popper first taking up a Readership at the LSE in 1945 before being appointed Professor of Logic and Scientific Method in 1949. Their relationship was principally professional, forming a strong inter-departmental alliance, fortified by their mutual friendship with Friedrich von Hayek. In a letter to Hayek on 20th October 1964, Popper wrote: “… I should also mention that, through your closeness to Lionel Robbins, I got to know him; and he is now my stand-by in the School, outside my department. He has been very good to me, and has helped me immensely, in many difficult situations at the school” (Shearmur & Turner, pp. 249). They also had significant intellectual intersections, with Robbins playing a role in the development of two of Popper’s most important works, The Open Society and The Poverty of Historicism. For Popper, Robbins was “the uncrowned king of the LSE” (quoted in Dahrendorf, p. 422): “I loved and admired him, most of all for his moral and personal qualities – and as a teacher” (Howson, 7). Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. An exceptional association.
Price: $3,500.00 Item Number: 100965
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First Edition of Robert K. Merton's Social Theory and Social Structure; Warmly Inscribed by Him
MERTON, Robert K.
Social Theory and Social Structure.
Glencoe, IL: The Free Press, 1949.
First edition of this landmark work in sociology. Octavo, original blue cloth. Presentation copy, warmly inscribed by the author on the title page, “For Fred, your friend for quite some time. Bob.” Near fine in the rare original dust jacket with some chips and wear. Rare signed and inscribed.
Price: $3,500.00 Item Number: 19087
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First Edition of the Author’s Prophetic Book The Coming of Post Industrial Society; Inscribed by Daniel Bell in the year of Publication TO IRVING KRISTOL AND GERTRUDE HIMMELFARB
BELL, Daniel.
The Coming of Post-Industrial Society: A Venture in Social Forecasting.
New York: Basic Books, 1973.
First edition of this insightful work which speaks about the coming of the service economy and the importance of knowledge for creating stratification in the new society. Octavo, original half cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author in the year of publication on the front free endpaper, “For Irving and Bea- with affection, as always, Dan May 30, 1973.” The recipients were Irving Kristol and his wife Gertrude Himmelfarb, who were close friends of Bell’s. Kristol was a journalist who was dubbed the “godfather of neoconservatism.” Historian Gertrude Himmelfarb, also known as Bea Kristol, was an American historian who was a leader of conservative interpretations of history and historiography. Bell and Kristol were close friends, who jointly founded The Public Interest in 1965. It was a leading neoconservative journal on political economy and culture, aimed at a readership of journalists, scholars and policy makers. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Jacqueline Schuman.
Price: $3,000.00 Item Number: 118638
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“Start with the end in mind": First Edition of The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People; Inscribed by Stephen R. Covey
COVEY, Stephen R.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1989.
First edition of this best-selling work, which has went on to sell more than 25 million copies. Octavo, original half cloth. Warmly inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “For John Rogers With admiration, appreciation and every good wish to you and yours to keep blessing others God bless. Stephen R. Covey.” Fine in a near fine dust jacket with light shelfwear. Jacket design by Barry Littmann. Signed and inscribed first editions are scarce.
Price: $2,750.00 Item Number: 3621
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First Edition of the Author’s Prophetic Book The Coming of Post Industrial Society; Inscribed by Daniel Bell in the year of Publication to Sociologist David Riesman
BELL, Daniel.
The Coming of Post-Industrial Society: A Venture in Social Forecasting.
New York: Basic Books, 1973.
First edition of this insightful work which speaks about the coming of the service economy and the importance of knowledge for creating stratification in the new society. Octavo, original half cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author in the year of publication on the front free endpaper, “For Dave and Evie Riesman, with regard, Dan Bell Chilmark, July 12, 1973.” David Riesman was a Harvard sociologist, known for his classic work The Lonely Crowd, which is considered a landmark study of American character. An outstanding association linking these two academician giants of the twentieth century. Some spotting to the page edges in a near fine dust jacket with a few small closed tears. Jacket design by Jacqueline Schuman.
Price: $2,500.00 Item Number: 18062
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“A definite purpose, backed by absolute faith, is a form of wisdom and wisdom in action produces positive results": First Edition of Napoleon Hill's The Master Key to Riches; Signed by Him
HILL, Napoleon.
The Master-Key to Riches.
Los Angeles: The Willing Publishing Company, 1945.
First edition of Napoleon Hill’s classic work. Octavo, original cloth. Boldly signed by Napoleon Hill on the front free endpaper. Contemporary inscription to the front free endpaper, near fine in the rare original dust jacket with some chips to the extremities.
Price: $2,200.00 Item Number: 89292
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First Edition of James M. Buchanan's The Limits of Liberty; Signed by Him
BUCHANAN, James M.
The Limits of Liberty: Between Anarchy and Leviathan.
Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1975.
First edition of the Nobel Prize-winning economist’s classic treatise concerning man’s freedom in society. Octavo, original cloth. Inscribed and dated in 2010 by the author. Near fine in a very good dust jacket with some wear to the top front panel.
Price: $2,000.00 Item Number: 3388
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First Edition of The Mathematical Experience; Inscribed by Both Davis and Hersh
DAVIS, Philip J. and Reuben Hersh.
The Mathematical Experience.
Boston: Birkhauser , 1981.
First edition of the authors’ classic introduction to the richly diverse world of mathematics: its history, philosophy, principles, and personalities, which went on to win the National Book Award. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by both authors on the front free endpaper, “For McAllister Hull from Reuben Hersh and from Philip J. Davis.” The recipient McAllister Hull was an American theoretical physicist who took part in the creation of the atomic bomb that was dropped over Nagasaki in 1945, ending World War II. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Introduction by Gian-Carlo Rota. Uncommon and desirable signed by both Hersh and Davis.
Price: $2,000.00 Item Number: 100450
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First Edition of John Dewey's Studies in Logical Theory; Inscribed by Him to Colleage Alfred Lloyd
DEWEY, John (Alfred H. Lloyd).
Studies in Logical Theory.
Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1903.
First edition of this collection of studies by Dewey. Octavo, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper in the year of publication, “Alfred H. Lloyd From John Dewey Oct. 12, 1903.” Also, Dewey has signed Lloyd’s name on the half-title page. Alfred H. Lloyd was a philosopher and close friend of Dewey’s. In the preface to this work, Dewey thanks Lloyd for his inspiration. Dewey himself recruited Lloyd the University of Michigan’s philosophy department, where Lloyd remained thereafter. In very good condition. An excellent association.
Price: $1,800.00 Item Number: 77952