CODE DE LA NATURE; reimpression complete augmentee des fragments important de la basiliade avec l'Analyse raisonee du system social de Morelly par Villegardelle

8vo, pp. 214. Uncut and unopened in the original wraps and tissue cover. Except for the tears to the final blank where it has adhered to the rear wraps, this is a fine copy. An unprecedented and very important exposition of a rationalist communism, advocating complete abolishment of private property and complete state control of production and consumption. It was if not completely ignored strongly rejected by Morelly's contemporaries. By the end of the eighteenth century Babeuf referred to it with great respect, and in the nineteenth century many socialist and communist writers have acknowledged their indebtness to Morelly, including among others Fourier, Cabet, Proudhon, Louis Blanc and Fredrick Engels. Morelly was born about 1715 and at least for a time lived in Vitry-le-François. This was originally issued in 1755. It was reissued the following year then reissued again just prior to the Paris Commune of 1848. Francois Villegardelle was an adherant of Charles Fourier and a writer of La Phalange.…