Bibliopoly

LOCKE, John

An Essay concerning Humane Understanding. In Four Books. The Third Edition.

London 1695

Description

Folio, contemporary speckled calf, panelled, contemporary red morocco label lettered in gilt, a little rubbed and worn, short split at top of upper hinge, engraved portrait of the author, (20) + 407pp + (11pp) index + (1p) adverts, title within double ruled border, endpapers browned, contemporary ownership in ink on the inner upper board of Martin Bowes, internally crisp and clean, an attractive copy

Wing L2741. Christophersen, p.27. see Printing & the Mind of Man 164.Third edition of the book on which john Locke’s fame chiefly rests, and which took him twenty years to complete. It was the first modern attempt to analyse the whole range of human knowledge. Locke was devoted to truth and had a keen appreciation of the limitation of human knowledge. He said “love truth, for truth’s sake, is the principal seed plot of all other virtues”. His reflections discouraged every kind of fanaticism and intolerance born of it. The Essay presents the philosophical foundation of the right of the individual thinker to follow freely the findings of experience. Locke’s influence is immeasurable – Berkeley, Hume, Reid, Kant, Hegel, Comte, Spencer – all in their respective ways were concerned with questions about the roots of experience which Locke left indeterminate. The Essay marks an epoch in the history of philosophy. He introduced the method of treating philosophical questions from the stand-point of psychology, which was to become prevalent in England and France in the 18th century. First published in 1690.