Grundlinien der Philosophie des Rechts.

“THE OWL OF MINERVA SPREADS ITS WINGS ONLY WITH THE COMING OF THE DUSK."

First edition. 8vo. [1, blank], [1, preliminary title page], xxvi, 355, [1] pp. Contemporary quarter black paper with marbled paper covered boards, flat spine panelled with simple gilt rules, recent printed paper label to spine (a few occasional instances of faint spotting and browning, single neat ink marginal annotations to pp. 235, 237, 257, 267, 283, otherwise generally internally clean; discreet repairs to tips of spine, corners gently bumped, still a very good copy indeed). Berlin, Nicolaischen Buchhandlung.

One of the greatest works of political philosophy and the last of Hegel's major works to be published in his lifetime, compiled from a series of lectures Hegel delivered at the University of Heidelberg. The preface is the source of the hugely famous quote by Hegel: 'when philosophy paints its grey in grey, then has a shape of life grown old. The owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the coming of the dusk.'

Although the imprint states 1821, the book was in fact published in 1820, as Hegel expected publication to be delayed by censorship. Complete with the usual additional title-page: "Naturrecht und Staatswissenschaft im Grundrisse. Zum Gebrauch für seine Vorlesungen".

Printing and the Mind of Man, 283.

Stock Code: 250343