DESCARTES, Dissertatio de Methodo, 1644
DESCARTES, René.
Specimina Philosophiae: Seu Dissertatio de Methodo Recte regendæ rationis, & veritatis in scientiis investigandæ: Dioptice, et Meteora.
Amsterdam, Ludovicum Elzevirium, 1644.
4to (200x158 mm), (16)-331-(1bl.) pages. binding : Full vellum, flat spine with title piece. Modern fake binding. Tiny ink stain on page 38. Discrete wormhole on inner margin on the beggining of the volume.
First latin edition of the Discours de la Méthode.
Milestone in the history of science which marked an epistemological rupture.
The Latin translation of the Discourse on the Method was first undertaken by Etienne de Courcelles but Descartes revised it, modified it and introduced variants compared to the French text of 1637. We find there for the first time the phrase (page 31) : "cogito, ergo sum".
The scientific texts following the Discourse are illustrated with numerous woods in the text.
references: Norman [623 : "The Cartesian catch-phrase 'Cogito, ergo sum' first appeared in this form in the Latin edition"], Guibert [p.118-119].
Price : 3000 €