Cumberland, Richard. Les loix de la nature, expliquŽes par le Docteur Richard CumberlandÉTraduits du Latin, par Monsieur BarbeyracÉAvec des notes du traducteur. Leide: Chez Theodore Haak, 1757
Contemporary mottled calf. Gilt floral-decorated spine with morocco label, marbled endpapers, edges stained red., [2], xxviii, [2], 435 [i.e. 425], [1, errata], [8, table des matires] pp. Engraved frontispiece, title-page in black and red.
A little light foxing. A very good, clean copy., Cumberland (1631-1718), who studied medicine for a while before taking orders, was a friend and classmate of Samuel Pepys at Magdalen College, Cambridge. The present work, which first appeared in Latin in 1672, grew out of the authorÕs opposition to HobbesÕs theory of the nature of man, the nature of morality and the origin of society. CumberlandÕs ethical theory is summed up in his Òprinciple of Universal BenevolenceÓ as the one source for moral good. In this sense he may be regarded as the founder of English utilitarianism, but it is a utilitarianism distinctive from the Òselfish system.Ó Sir Isaac NewtonÕs name was among the list of subscribers for the original publication. Barbeyrac (1674-1744) was the nephew of Charles Barbeyrac (1629-99), a physician of high reputation and a friend of Locke. He became professor of history and civil law at Lausanne in 1711 and of public law at Groningen in 1717. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica (13th edition), his fame rests chiefly on his preface and notes to his translation of PufendorfÕs De Jure Naturae et Gentium. Among his own productions are De la morale des pres, a history of ancient treaties contained in the SupplŽment au grand corps diplomatique, and the curious TraitŽ du jeu (1709), in which he defends the morality of games of chance.
$US600
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