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Discours de la méthode pour bien conduire sa raison, et chercher la vérité dans les sciences. Plus la dioptrique. Les météores. Et la géométrie. Leiden: Jan Maire, 1637.
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DESCARTES, René (1596-1650)
Discours de la méthode pour bien conduire sa raison, et chercher la vérité dans les sciences. Plus la dioptrique. Les météores. Et la géométrie. Leiden: Jan Maire, 1637.
First edition of the author's first published work, the foundation of all modern scientific and philosophic thought, with extensive marginalia in two contemporary hands. In the first part Descartes sets out his method of inquiry, and then illustrates it in three essays on optics, meteorology and geometry. 'Descartes's purpose is to find the simple indestructible proposition which gives to the universe and thought their order and system. Three points are made: the truth of thought, when thought is true to itself (thus, cogito, ergo sum), the inevitable elevation of its partial state in our finite consciousness to its full state in the infinite existence of God, and the ultimate reduction of the material universe to extension and local movement' (PMM). His discussion of Harvey's discovery of the circulation of blood was the first by a prominent foreign scholar. Descartes was called to Stockholm in 1649 as philosopher to Queen Christina, but did not survive his first winter and died there in 1650. A crisp, large copy. Dibner, Heralds of Science, 81; Grolier/Horblit 24; Guibert, Bib. Descartes, 1; NLM/Krivatsky 3114; Norman 621; PMM 129.
Quarto (200 x 150mm). Woodcut printer's device on title, numerous text illustrations and diagrams, ruled in pencil throughout with extensive ink marginalia and underlining in two contemporary hands (faint staining in quires A-B, leaves 2C1 and 2O3 with short marginal tears, marginalia in quire 2O just trimmed by the binder, leaf 2O3v with ink blots in blank area, quires 3B-3C and 3E with light marginal staining creeping into text, a few other occasional spots and ink stains). Contemporary Dutch vellum over thin pasteboard, yapp edges, title lettered on spine, blue sprinkled edges (lower cover lightly stained, extremities lightly rubbed and faintly soiled). Provenance: annotated extensively throughout in French in neat contemporary manuscript in two hands, providing summaries and indicating a close reading of the text – Sir Joshua Vanneck, 1st Baronet (1702-1777; armorial bookplate); by descent.
Discours de la méthode pour bien conduire sa raison, et chercher la vérité dans les sciences. Plus la dioptrique. Les météores. Et la géométrie. Leiden: Jan Maire, 1637.
First edition of the author's first published work, the foundation of all modern scientific and philosophic thought, with extensive marginalia in two contemporary hands. In the first part Descartes sets out his method of inquiry, and then illustrates it in three essays on optics, meteorology and geometry. 'Descartes's purpose is to find the simple indestructible proposition which gives to the universe and thought their order and system. Three points are made: the truth of thought, when thought is true to itself (thus, cogito, ergo sum), the inevitable elevation of its partial state in our finite consciousness to its full state in the infinite existence of God, and the ultimate reduction of the material universe to extension and local movement' (PMM). His discussion of Harvey's discovery of the circulation of blood was the first by a prominent foreign scholar. Descartes was called to Stockholm in 1649 as philosopher to Queen Christina, but did not survive his first winter and died there in 1650. A crisp, large copy. Dibner, Heralds of Science, 81; Grolier/Horblit 24; Guibert, Bib. Descartes, 1; NLM/Krivatsky 3114; Norman 621; PMM 129.
Quarto (200 x 150mm). Woodcut printer's device on title, numerous text illustrations and diagrams, ruled in pencil throughout with extensive ink marginalia and underlining in two contemporary hands (faint staining in quires A-B, leaves 2C1 and 2O3 with short marginal tears, marginalia in quire 2O just trimmed by the binder, leaf 2O3v with ink blots in blank area, quires 3B-3C and 3E with light marginal staining creeping into text, a few other occasional spots and ink stains). Contemporary Dutch vellum over thin pasteboard, yapp edges, title lettered on spine, blue sprinkled edges (lower cover lightly stained, extremities lightly rubbed and faintly soiled). Provenance: annotated extensively throughout in French in neat contemporary manuscript in two hands, providing summaries and indicating a close reading of the text – Sir Joshua Vanneck, 1st Baronet (1702-1777; armorial bookplate); by descent.
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