Esquisse d’un Tableau Historique des Progrès de L’esprit Humain. (Sketch for a Historical Picture of the Progress of the Human Mind)

Paris: Chez Agasse, 1795. First Edition. Hardcover. “Can Man Become Perfect?” (PMM 246)
CONDORCET, Marquis de. Esquisse d’un Tableau Historique des Progrès de L’esprit Humain. (Sketch for a Historical Picture of the Progress of the Human Mind), Chez Agasse, Paris, L’An III de la République [1795]. 1 blank leaf + half-title + TP + v-viii + [1]-389 + 1 blank leaf, Octavo. First Edition, First Issue. PMM 246

The Esquiss, published after his death in prison, is considered Condorcet’s greatest work and is often cited as the culmination of characteristically eighteenth-century philosophy. With its emphasis on the idea of progress, the book also established a dominant theme of nineteenth-century thought. Condorcet traces the history of man through ten epochs, moving from savagery through the development of civilization and knowledge up to Descartes in the eighth epoch. The ninth epoch spans the Enlightenment from Descartes to the Revolution. For the tenth epoch, Condorcet predicted that equality of opportunity will come to prevail among classes and nations and that man will improve intellectually, morally and physically. “A belief in the ultimate perfectibility of man lies at the root of all progressive thinking about the human condition. The philosophes and Godwin had familiarized the reading public with this notion, but it was left to Condorcet to give it its finest and most durable expression… Unlike Godwin, he does not preach absolute equality, but equality of opportunity. While progress is limited by human nature, as men desire freedom, so they will obtain it and the equality that goes with it. Knowledge of this comes only with education, and this explains Condorcet’s zeal to improve it.” (PMM)

PRINTING AND THE MIND OF MAN 246

CONDITION: Very good or better in contemporary 3/4 leather with speckled boards. Rich gilt along spine, with gilt-lettered title set in burgundy panel.Small stamp to front pastedown. Light browning to corners of endpapers. Bright and clean throughout

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