Meditations Chrestiennes, Par L'Auteur De la Recherche de la Vérité.
Cologne: Balthasar d'Egmond, [i.e., Amsterdam: Blaeu], 1683: 1683. First edition, published with a false imprint (as stated in Rahir and in Malebranche's correspondence) giving the publisher as Balthasar d'Egmond in Cologne when it was, in fact, published by Blaeu in Amsterdam. Woodcut vignette on title page. Binding extremities rubbed with the crown and tail of spine worn away less than 1/4." Light foxing and toning with an occasional small chip to the paper. Light dampstain at bottom margin of gatherings G and H, not affecting text. Very minor ink markings to margins of a few leaves in gatherings I, K, and L, not touching text. Ink annotation on front pastedown. Two contemporary ink inscriptions in Greek, one from the Gospel of John on the verso of the front flyleaf and the other from the Gospel of Matthew on the recto of terminal blank. Eighteenth century monastic inscription of provenance in French on title page. A very good copy of a scarce book. Brown calf with a gilt-tooled spine and red morocco spine label lettered in gilt. Edges sprinkled red. Twelvemo. 364, [1] pp. Item #16283
According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, "...Malebranche (1638-1715) published major works on metaphysics, theology, and ethics, as well as studies of optics, the laws of motion, and the nature of color. He is known...for offering a highly original synthesis of views of...St. Augustine and René Descartes. Two distinctive results of this synthesis are Malebranche's doctrine that we see bodies through ideas in God and his Occasionalist conclusion that God is the only real cause...Meditations was, in some ways, a follow up to his Christian Conversations, published in 1677. [In it], Malebranche presented a defense of the Christian religion that emphasizes the Augustinian theme of [human beings'] dependence on God for knowledge and happiness." Of particular interest in Meditations is Meditation VIII, in which Malebranche attacks the view of those who - albeit through sincere piety - believe themselves to be under une protection de Dieu toute particuliere and discusses the notion of amour-propre and its effects on faith and morals.
Cioranescu 44869; Quérard V, p. 461.
Price: $1,250.00