First Elzevier edition of the French translation by Samuel de Sorbière (1615-1670) of Thomas Hobbess (1588-1679) De corpore politico, or the elements of law, moral & politick (1650). Hobbes, among the first major philosophers to write in English, here develops one of the earliest systematic accounts of political society. First conceived as part of The elements of law (1640), alongside Human Nature, this work emerges directly from the intellectual and political upheavals of the 17th century. It offers a penetrating analysis of human nature, famously describing the condition of mankind as a state of conflict: "a war of every man against every man", driven by fear, competition, and self-interest.
The English original of De corpore politico circulated in the early 1650s, while only two French editions appeared: the first in 1652, followed by this Elzevier reprint of 1653. The present copy comes from the library of Henry Pelham (1694-1754), a leading British Whig statesman and Prime Minister from 1743 until his death, who was instrumental in stabilising national finances and consolidating governmental authority during a pivotal period in mid-18th-century Britain.
With the armorial bookplate of Henry Pelham (1694-1754) mounted on the front pastedown, and an annotation on the title page dated Genoa, 1735. The corners of the boards are scuffed, the joints are somewhat weakened, the spine is slightly rubbed. The leaves are somewhat browned, with occasional staining. Otherwise in good condition. Berghman (Stockholm) 390; MacDonald-Hargreaves 21; Rahir 726; STCN 117380016 (4 copies); USTC 1809069 (6 copies); Willems 725.