LEIBNIZ (LEIBNITZ), GOTTFRIED WILHELM.

Tentamina Theodicaeae De Bonitate Dei Libertate Hominis Et Origine Mali / Latinè versa & Notationibus illustrata à M. D. L. (Barth. Des Bosses). Ab ipso Auctore emendata & auctiora. Tomus Primus (3 Parts, all). (Theodicy: Essays on the Goodness of God, the Freedom of Man and the Origin of Evil).

Franckfurt, Bencard, 1719. 8vo. Contemp. full vellum. A few small brownspots to covers. Large engraved titlevignette. (48),(40),408,(12) pp. 1 folded table (between p.48/49). Clean and fine.

Extremely scarce first Latin edition of Leibniz's hugely influential work "Essais de Theodicée sur la Bonté de Dieu, la Liberté de L'Homme, et L'Origine du Mal" (1710). It is his importent treatise on the goodnes of God, the free will of man and the causes of evil in the world, The principal subject of the work being the problem of liberty and free will. It is the only larger philosophical work published by Leibnitz himself.
The "Théodicée" was a response to skeptical Pierre Bayle, who wrote in his work Dictionnaire Historique et Critique that, after rejecting three attempts to solve it, he saw no rational solution to the problem of evil.
The work was composed at the instigation of Sophia Charlotte, with whom Leibniz had conversed concerning the views of Bayle. In response to a request from Prince Eugene for an abstract of the Théodicée, Leibniz in 1714 wrote the "Principes de la nature et de la grâce fondées en raison and the Monadologie".

It is often the case, that this Latin edition is followed by the small work "Causa Dei Asserta per Justitiam Ejus..." (32) pp. This work is not withbound here.

Ravier "Bibliographie des Oeuvres de Leibniz", No 344. - PMM (1710-edition).

Order-nr.: 49802