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.
Showing all 19 results
-
Browse by Category
- Browse All
- Americana
- Art and Architecture
- Autograph Letters Signed
- Biography and Autobiography
- Children's Books
- Economics and Finance
- Featured Rare Books
- Fine Bindings and Sets
- First Edition
- First Edition>Signed
- Food and Wine
- Framed Autographs and Historical Documents
- Geography
- Gifts
- Gifts - For Her
- Gifts - For Him
- Gifts - Graduation and Celebrations
- Gifts - Holidays
- History, Law, and Politics
- Literature
- Music
- New Arrivals
- Philosophy
- Photography
- Poetry
- Presidents and World Leaders
- Religion
- Science and Natural History
- Science Fiction and Mystery
- Signed
- Signed & Autographed Books
- Sports and Leisure
- Travel and Exploration
- Uncategorized
-
From the library of Charles Darwin: First edition of Herbert Spencer's The Study of Sociology; with a presentation inscription from Spencer to Darwin
SPENCER, Herbert.
The Study of Sociology.
London: Henry S. King & Co, 1873.
First edition, association copy of famed English philosopher Herbert Spencer's classic work on the evolution of society; presented and inscribed by him to Charles Darwin. Octavo, original publisher's cloth with gilt titles to the spine, dark green endpapers. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, "Charles Darwin with the Author's kind regards." English philosopher, biologist, sociologist, and anthropologist Herbert Spencer invented the expression "survival of the fittest" which he coined in his Principles of Biology (1864) after reading Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species (1859). A description of the mechanism of natural selection, in Principles of…
Price: $110,000.00 Item Number: 141586
-
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…
Price: $32,000.00 Item Number: 96588
-
"HIS UTOPIA IS ALARMING AND HIS METAPHYSICS ARE INTOXICATING": Rare first edition in English of Plato's Republic
PLATO]. TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK BY HARRY SPENS,.
The Republic of Plato In Ten Books.
Glasgow: Printed by Robert and Andrew Foulis, 1763.
First edition in English of Plato's Republic, marking the first appearance in the English language of Plato's profoundly influential dialogue concerning the nature of justice. Quarto, bound in full polished calf with raised gilt bands to the spine, morocco spine label lettered in gilt, all edges speckled red. Harry Spens was a minister at the parish of Wemyss in Fife, and respected classicist. In his introduction he professes his intent in his translation is: "To give the English Reader a view of Plato's sentiments and manner of writing, and to stir up the youth to the study of the Ancients."…
Price: $20,000.00 Item Number: 138322
-
"One of the 100 best books of any kind of the 20th century": First Edition of Hannah Arendt's Masterpiece The Origins of Totalitarianism; Inscribed by Her in the Year of Publication
ARENDT, Hannah.
The Origins of Totalitarianism.
New York: Harcourt Brace, 1951.
First edition of this masterpiece, by one of the most important and influential thinkers of the twentieth century. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed and dated in the year of publication by Hannah Arendt on the front free endpaper. Near fine in a very good dust jacket with some rubbing and chips. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box made by the Harcourt Bindery. Rare and desirable signed.
Price: $20,000.00 Item Number: 143024
-
"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…
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 67018
-
Rare First Edition of the First Complete English Translation of The Dialogues of Plato; Signed by Translator Floyer Sydenham
PLATO; TRANSLATED BY FLOYER SYDENHAM,.
Plato’s Dialogues.
London: W. Sandby, 1767-1779.
First edition set contains all eleven parts, although without all the individual dated titles. Part one is signed on the dedication page by the translator Floyer Sydenham as usual, and includes a sheet laid in with manuscript instructions to the binder. Quarto, three volumes, bound in contemporary full calf, armorial bookplate. Dated title pages in volumes one and two, each of eleven parts with undated flytitle and dedication leaf, Lesser Hippias and Dissertation both with additional dated part title, ad leaves at beginning of volume one and after The Banquet, as well "proposal" leaf, errata slip in volume three (a…
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 140464
-
Etching of Albert Einstein by Hermann Struck; Signed by Both Struck and Einstein
EINSTEIN, Albert; Hermann Struck.
Albert Einstein Signed Etching.
1923.
Etch bust of Albert Einstein done by well-known artist Hermann Struck. Signed by both Einstein and Struck, numbered 49/150. In fine condition. Double matted and framed, the entire piece measures 12.25 inches by 15 inches. An exceptional piece.
Price: $14,000.00 Item Number: 95890
-
"Full circle from the tomb of the womb to the womb of the tomb we come": First Edition of The Hero With A Thousand Faces; Signed by Joseph Campbell
CAMPBELL, Joseph.
The Hero With A Thousand Faces.
New York: Pantheon Books, 1949.
First edition of Joseph Campbell's magnum opus. Octavo, original half cloth, illustrated with 22 textual drawings, 12 plates. Boldly signed by Joseph Campbell on the title page. Near fine in a very good dust jacket. First editions are rare, especially signed.
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 145938
-
Rare First Edition of Thomas Hobbes' The Moral and Political Works
HOBBES, Thomas.
The Moral and Political Works.
London: 1750.
First edition of the collected works of Hobbes. Folio, bound in full calf to period style, raised bands, gilt spine emblems, red morocco title label, marbled endpapers, frontispiece engraved title page. In very good condition. Containing Leviathan, De Corpore, Human Nature, Behemoth (1679) and other key writings. xxviii, (2) ii, 697 (3) pp. Macdonald & Hargreaves 107. CBEL I:871. See Lowndes, 1077. First editions are rare.
Price: $9,800.00 Item Number: 121929
-
"What worries you, masters you": Rare First Edition of The Works of John Locke
LOCKE, John.
The Works of John Locke [Including: An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Some Thoughts Concerning Education, Some Considerations of the Consequences of Lowering the Interest, and Raising the Value of Money, An Essay for the Amendment of the Silver Coin, Some Thoughts Concerning Education, Etc.]
London: John Churchill and Sam. Manship, 1714.
Rare first edition of the collected works of John Locke, “the most worthy… of the indisputably great philosophers.” Folio, three volumes, bound in full contemporary brown calf, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, morocco spine labels, raised bands, rebacked. Frontispiece of John Locke to volume one. In very good condition.
Price: $9,800.00 Item Number: 122652
-
Scarce First edition of Commandino's commentary of Ptolemy's Planisphaerium; one of the few extant examples from the Aldine Press in Roman type
PTOLOMAEUS, Claudius. Edited and with Commentary by Federico Commandino.
Ptolemaei Planisphaerium. Iordani Planisphaerium. Federici Commandini Urbrinatis in Ptolemaei Planisphaerium Commentarius.
Venice: Paulus Manutius (Aldine Press), 1558.
First separate edition and first edition of Commandino's commentary of Ptolemy's Planisphaerium, the original Greek text of which is no longer extant. Octavo, two volumes bound into one in eighteenth century vellum, all edges speckled red, Aldine device on both titles and both final pages, woodcut initials, numerous woodcut diagrams. The Ptolemaei is printed in Roman type and the Planisphaerium in Italics; examples from the Aldine Press in Roman type are scarce as the press's founder, Aldus Manutius, invented the Italic type which he used almost exclusively. The Aldine press was also the first to issue printed books in the small…
Price: $8,800.00 Item Number: 95289
-
"with love & admiration": First Edition of Marriage and Morals; Inscribed by Bertrand Russell to his Publisher Horace Liveright
RUSSELL, Bertrand.
Marriage and Morals.
New York: Horace Liveright, 1929.
First edition of this work by Russell, in which he questions the Victorian notions of morality regarding sex and marriage. Octavo, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper to his publisher, "To Horace Liveright from Bertrand Russell with love & admiration." The recipient, Horace Liveright was an American publisher and stage producer. With Albert Boni, he founded the Modern Library and Boni & Liveright publishers. He published the books of numerous influential American and British authors. In 1917 Liveright founded the Modern Library. It was formed as a reprinting line, publishing inexpensive books from European modernists, while Liveright published the work of contemporary…
Price: $7,500.00 Item Number: 54042
-
“There is nothing deep down inside us except what we have put there ourselves": First Edition of Richard Rorty's Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature; Signed by Him
RORTY, Richard.
Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature.
Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1979.
First edition of this classic work of twentieth century philosophy. Octavo, original cloth. Signed by Richard Rorty on the half-title page. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. This is the first signed example we have seen or handled of this landmark work.
Price: $4,500.00 Item Number: 84533
-
Finely Bound Set of Plato's Dialogues
PLATO,.
Plato’s Dialogues.
Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1892.
Finely bound set contains Plato's Dialogues. Octavo, five volumes, bound in full morocco, gilt titles to the spine, raised bands, gilt portrait to the front and rear panels of each volume, all edges gilt, inner dentelles. Translated by Benjamin Jowett. In fine condition. An exceptional set.
Price: $3,500.00 Item Number: 140887
-
"Virtue which is not supported with gravity gains no repute among men": Rare Early edition of The Morals of Confucius; A Cornerstone of Chinese Philosophy
CONFUCIUS,.
The Morals of Confucius, A Chinese Philosopher.
London: T. Horne, 1706.
Rare second edition in English of The Morals of Confucius. Small octavo, bound in full contemporary sheep contemporary sheep. In very good condition, toning to the extremities.
Price: $3,200.00 Item Number: 107212
-
"Face an audience as frequently as you can and you will soon stop shying": First edition of Dale Carnegie's First Book: The Art of Public Speaking;
CARNEGEY (CARNEGIE), Dale and J. Berg Esenwein.
The Art of Public Speaking: An Inspirational Working Handbook of Instruction For All Who Would Become Efficient Public Speakers.
Springfield: Home Correspondence School, 1915.
First edition of Carnegie's pioneering work which would become the predecessor to countless self-improvement books. Octavo, original cloth, top edge gilt. Co-author Dale Carnegy would later change the spelling of his surname to Carnegie to associate himself in the eyes of the public with American business tycoon Andrew Carnegie, to whom he was not related. In near fine condition Rare and desirable.
Price: $3,000.00 Item Number: 95246
-
First Edition of Erich Fromm's The Art of Loving; Inscribed by Him
FROMM, Erich.
The Art of Loving.
New York: Harper & Brothers, 1956.
First edition of this groundbreaking international bestseller that has shown millions of readers how to achieve rich, productive lives by developing their capacities for love. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "Fur Hans und Ruth...Eric August 1957." Very good in a good dust jacket with some wear. First editions are uncommon signed and inscribed.
Price: $2,800.00 Item Number: 98633