SMITH, Adam Untersuchung über die Natur und die Ursachen des Nationalreichtums... Aus dem Englischen der vierten Ausgabe neu übersetzt. Erster ( - Vierter) Band. Breslau, Korn 1794 - 96. Four vols.
8°. XX, 476, (4); (4), 274, (1); (4), 451; (4), 484 pp. Uniform contemporary boards (rubbed, corners and edges bumped, stained), spines somewhat gilt and with 2 gilt lettered spine labels (one of them red), 2 more labels with handwritten registration numbers ( the last-mentioned not all preserved). First edition of that translation, second German edition at all. This translation undertaken by Christian Garve and A. Dörrien (see Hasek in: Lai, Adam Smith across Nations. p. 100) is considered to be the first successful of such based on this extremely influential work, which appeared in England for the first time in 1776. With its two fundamental ideas of the existence of a natural order on one side and the resulting repercussion, that the individual interests of those involved in economic life, if one gives them their free rein, will maximise the benefits to the public weal, would become Smith's main work and a basis of economic-liberal thought. Handwritten ownership entry to all titles, front fly-leaves with repeated registration number. A few lvs. with paper defects to the outer margins (not affecting text). Vol 1 with some strokes by coloured pencil, all vols. with some marginalia in pencil. Slightly browned throughout (due to the paper quality). Fly-leaves and last leaf of vol. 4 somewhat damp-stained, otherwise internally very well preserved. Humpert 12751; Kress B 2834. Neither in Einaudi nor in Goldsmith (with the edition 1796 ff. only).
Euro2650
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