Books

First Hartknoch edition, second issue, of Kant's first published work on metaphysics. This scarce treatise examines the concept of a spirit world, in response to the spiritualist claims of Emanuel Swedenborg (1668-1772). Kant concludes that philosophical knowledge of any spirit world is impossible, as human reason is constrained by the limits of our experience. The influence of Humean scepticism is particularly evident here, and Träume eines Geistersehers is one of the key works in which Kant (with Hume's help) shakes off his dogmatic acceptance of human knowledge of the spirit world. The work was originally published at Königsberg by Johann Jacob Kanter, Kant's usual publisher in the 1760s. Johann Friedrich Hartknoch reprinted Kanter's edition later that year. Warda identifies two distinct issues: this, with the foliage vignette on the title page, is the second. Hartknoch subsequently published the first editions of Kant's Critik der reinen Vernunft (1781) and practischen Vernunft (1788). Small octavo (155 x 97 mm). Recently bound to style in contemporary marbled paper, paper label lettered in manuscript to spine, edges red. Engraved headpiece and vignette to title page. Light rubbing, minor browning and foxing to endpapers and contents: a very good copy. Adickes 40; Warda 43.

An early philosophical work wherein Kant discusses metaphysics and the limits of human understanding.