A Treatise Concerning Eternal and Immutable Morality.

CUDWORTH, Ralph.

Published by James and John Knapton, London, 1731

About this Item

1 blank leaf + engraved frontispiece + TP + iii-xii = The Preface + [xiii]-[xx] = The Contents + 1-303 + [304] = publisher's ads + 1 blank leaf, Octavo. First Edition. Cudworth's "Best-Known Contribution to Moral Theory"This treatise was published posthumously (Cudworth died in 1688) from a manuscript belonging to the author's grandson, Franics Cudworth Masham and edited by Edward Chandler. It is the second part of Cudworth's major treatise on liberty and necessity, the first being his True Intellectual System of the Universe (1678) and the third A Treatise on Freewill (1838). This work "is the fullest statement of epistemology produce by any of the Cambridge Platonist. Arguably it constitutes the most important statement of innate-idea epistemology by any British philosopher of the seventeenth century. The fundamental ethical question posed in A Treatise concerning Eternal and Immutable Morality is that posed in Plato's Euthyphro: whether things are good because the gods will them to be good, or whether the gods will them because they are good." [Sarah Hutton in Dictionary of Seventeenth Century British Philosophers] The Encyclopedia of Philosophy refers to this work as "Cudworth's best-known contribution to moral theory." (Vol. II, p. 272) Contemporary speckled calf. Double gilt rule to front and back covers. Spine with five gilt bordered raised bands and burgundy morocco label with gilt lettering. Small, dark and faded library label at foot of spine (all but impossible to see). The front joint is cracked, but extremely firm. Some terior pages browned but overall a very pretty copy of this surprisingly uncommon book. ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. Seller Inventory # 791

Bibliographic Details

Title: A Treatise Concerning Eternal and Immutable ...

Publisher: James and John Knapton, London

Publication Date: 1731

Edition: FIRST EDITION.