1731 – History of Philosophy – Thomas Stanley | First Edition – Famous Philosophers

Thomas Stanley was a 17th-century English philosopher who is best known for his study of metaphysics – The History of Philosophy. This work, first published in 1655, was a collection of biographical sketches of famous Greek and Roman philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Pythagoras.

This 1731 first Latin edition is an impressive, three-volume set bound in full vellum.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Historia philosophiae vitas, opiniones, resque gestas, et dicta philosophorum sectae cuisuis complexa
• Author(s): Thomas Stanley
• Publisher: Venetiis, Apud Sebastianum Coleti
• Edition: First Latin edition, 1731.
• Binding: Full vellum
• Format: (8vo), three volume set
• Size:  9.25 in x 7.25 in (23.5 cm x 18.4 cm)
• Collation:
  • Vol. I: [56], 424 pp
  • Vol. II: 484 [i.e. 488] pp
  • Vol. III: 396 pp
• Contents Include:
  • Biographical accounts of ancient Greek philosophers
  • Accounts of philosophical schools and traditions
  • Recorded sayings and doctrines attributed to classical philosophers
  • Discussions of figures including Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Pythagoras

Condition:

Very Good. Full vellum bindings with tight and secure text blocks. Corners and edges show little to no wear. Pages display mild age toning consistent with eighteenth century paper; text remains clear and legible throughout all three volumes.

Why Collect This?

• First Latin edition of Thomas Stanley’s influential early history of philosophy
• Early modern compilation of biographies and teachings of classical Greek philosophers

Item Number: # 50186