KANT'S PHILOSOPHY OF LAW

KANT, IMMANUEL.

Metaphysische Anfangsgründe der Rechtslehre.

Königsberg, Friedrich Nicolovius, 1797.

8vo. In contemporary half calf with gilt lettering to spine. Small paper-label pasted on to top of spine. A very nice and clean copy. XII, LII, (3), 56-235, (1)  pp. 

The first edition of Kant's influential philosophy of law (or right), his "Rechtslehre", which appeared as the independent first part of his "Metaphysik der Sitten". Kant's "Rechtslehre" is explained as a system of the principles of law, in which Kant applies the foundational notions developed in, for instance - and most notably, his "Critique of Pure Reason".

In this important work, Kant seeks the general and necessary principles of law/right, those that are given through the pure reason a priori, and he determines the degree to which these principles found the empirical praxis of law/right. After having determined the general principles, he discusses their application to private law as well as institutional law. The work thus continues to be of great importance to the philosophy of law.

The present copy with the colophon on the second-last page (and with the errata), as explained by Warda (note 18) - there is no precedecy between copies with/without the colophon.

Warda 171.

Order-nr.: 60840