Discours sur l’origine et les fondements de l’inégalité parmi les hommes
First edition of Rousseau's Discourse that “marks a pivotal moment in the history of political doctrines.”
A very fine copy printed on Dutch paper, preserved in its contemporary binding.
Octavo, (1) leaf, LXX, (1) leaf, 262 pp., (1) leaf.
Full mottled calf, ribbed spine decorated with gilt fleurons, red morocco title label, marbled edges. Contemporary binding.
195 x 122 mm.
Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men. By J.J. Rousseau, citizen of Geneva.
Amsterdam, Marc Michel Rey, 1755.
First edition of this essential Discourse by Rousseau "which marks a crucial moment in the history of political doctrine."
Matching in all respects Dufour’s description, it features "a fleuron vignette by Fokke on the title page representing Liberty seated, a beautiful frontispiece drawn by Eisen and engraved by Sornique, and a fleuron at the head of the dedication bearing the arms of the Republic of Geneva signed Fokke." (Cohen).
Dufour, 55; Tchemerzine, V, 532; Rahir, Bibliothèque de l’amateur, 622; Cohen, 519.
In his Confessions, Jean-Jacques Rousseau recounts his 7 or 8 day trip to Saint-Germain to reflect on the major topic that the Academy of Dijon had dared to propose for its 1754 competition: What is the origin of inequality among men?; "since they had the courage,I could certainly have the courage to tackle it, and I undertook to do so."
In this now-famous essay, upon which part of modern political literature rests, Rousseau lays the foundation of his doctrine by asserting that all evils, miseries, aberrations, and causes of inequality among men arise solely from the social state.
"Rousseau’s contemporaries saw in this pamphlet an implacable indictment of the social and political institutions of their time and acclaimed, in the author, the bold practitioner who dared to probe to the core of the wound. His Discourse marks a turning point in the history of political doctrines; it contains the elements of the thesis Rousseau would defend in the Social Contract, a work of reason and law intended to establish the reign of justice and collective happiness." (Dictionnaire des Œuvres).
"There are copies on heavy paper." (Tchemerzine)
"On page 11, the word 'conformé' received in first-print copies a correction in ink by the bookseller Rey, who added an acute accent on the final letter." (Dufour).
Beautiful copy, internally clean, very large margins, printed on Dutch paper, with the 3 cancels on pages XVII, 111-112, 139-140, and with, on page 11, the word 'conformé' corrected in ink by the publisher, M. Rey, who added the acute accent to the final letter.
Provenance: Fürstenberg Library with Hofbibliothek Donaueschingen library stamp on the verso of the title leaf, Dr. Franz Becker 1821, with handwritten ex-libris on endpaper, and David Lellong with handwritten ex-libris on the title page.
The Fürstenberg Library was one of the most important private collections of rare books. Hans Fürstenberg, descendant of a family of Berlin bankers, was above all known as a great bibliophile.
