SPINOZA, Baruch (later Benedictus de, 1632-1677). Renati Des Cartes Principiorum Philosophiae Pars I, & II, more Geometrico demonstrate...Accesserunt...Cogitata Metaphysica. Amsterdam: Johannes Rieuwerts, 1663.
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SPINOZA, Baruch (later Benedictus de, 1632-1677). Renati Des Cartes Principiorum Philosophiae Pars I, & II, more Geometrico demonstrate...Accesserunt...Cogitata Metaphysica. Amsterdam: Johannes Rieuwerts, 1663.

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SPINOZA, Baruch (later Benedictus de, 1632-1677). Renati Des Cartes Principiorum Philosophiae Pars I, & II, more Geometrico demonstrate...Accesserunt...Cogitata Metaphysica. Amsterdam: Johannes Rieuwerts, 1663.

4o (190 x 151 mm). Woodcut diagrams in text. 18th-century German calf-backed boards (some wear).

FIRST EDITION OF SPINOZA'S FIRST WORK, edited by Ludovicus Meyer. J. Kingma/A.K. Offenberg, Bibliography of Spinoza's works, no. 1; Caillet 10312; Wolf, p. 650ff.

[Bound with:] SPINOZA. Tractatus theologico-politicus continens dissertationes aliquot, quibus ostenditur libertatem philosophandi non tantum salva pietate, & reipublicae pace posse concedi: sed eandem nisi cum pace reipublicae, ipsaque pietate tolli non posse. Hamburg: Henricus Künraht, 1670.

4o. Collation: *4 **2; A-Z4 Aa-Ff4 Gg2 (*1r title, *1v blank, *2r Praefatio, **2r Index capitum; A1r text, Gg1v errata, Gg2 blank). Roman, italic and Hebrew type. Woodcut printer's device on title. (Stain on title and first six leaves, a few headlines shaved, lacking final blank.)

FIRST EDITION of Spinoza's philosophy, a "crystal-clear exposition of the theory of natural right" (PMM). The Tractatus Theologico-Politicus (A Treatise on Political Theology) was Spinoza's first great work, blending the traditions of his Hebraic background with Cartesian rationalism, the philosophy he adopted following his break with Jewish orthodoxy in 1656. The Tractatus extends his ethical views into the realm of politics, and contains the first clear statement of the mutual independence of philosophy and religion. "Man is moved to the knowledge and love of God; the love of God involves the love of our fellow men. Man, in order to obtain security, surrenders part of his right of independent action of State. But the State exists to give liberty, not to enslave; justice, wisdom and toleration are essential to the sovereign power" (PMM).

The printing history of the Tractatus theologico-politicus is, in Fritz Bamberger's words, "a complex and fascinating bibliographical tale." Four editions were published with the 1670 date and Kunraht imprint. Of these, one actually appeared in 1672 and two were issued posthumously in 1677. This copy is of the true first edition, with page 104 misnumbered 304 (corrected in manuscript). Fritz Bamberger, "The Early Editions of Spinoza's Tractatus Theologico-Politicus," in: Studies in Bibliography and Booklore, vol. 5, 1962, pp.9-33, no. T1; Kingma and Offenberg 3; PMM 153; Van der Linde, p.172.

[Bound with:] SPINOZA. Opera posthuma. [Edited by Jarrig Jellis, the long preface translated from Dutch into Latin by Lodewijk Meijer. Amsterdam: Jan Rieuwertsz], 1677.

4o. Roman, italic and Hebrew type. Woodcut title vignette, initials, illustrations.

FIRST EDITION of Spinoza's most influential philosophical work. Ethics, the modern classic of pantheism, argues that God is the immanent principle of the universe, undetermined or infinitely self-determined. Spinoza's thinking combined religion and science in a unique and revolutionary way. His views greatly influenced Herder, German Romanticism, Schelling and Hegel.

The work contains his Ethica, Tractatus politicus, and Tractatus de intellectus emendatione, as well as letters and a Hebrew grammar written at the request of friends. Spinoza's correspondence is particularly interesting, providing easier access to his philosophy, as well as dealing with optics, the telescope and his views on Descartes. A later engraved portrait of the author is sometimes found added to the book; in fact, enough copies in 17th-century bindings containing it survive to postulate a second issue. Kingma and Offenberg 15; Norman 1988; Van der Linde, p.175.

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