An Essay on the Philosophy of Self-Consciousness

1882, a rare first edition from philosopher Penelope Frederica Fitzgerald

Author

Publisher

Printing Details

First edition. Hardback, bound in the original brown cloth with gilt titling to spine. 23 × 14.5cm, xvi + 196pp.

Full title: An Essay on the Philosophy of Self-Consciousness, Containing an Analysis of Reason and the Rationale of Love

P. F. Fitzgerald was a late-19th-century philosopher who attempted to reconcile reason, religion, and emotion. In this specific work, she argues that self-consciousness is the ultimate proof of a higher power. She writes about the "Rationale of Love", this is perhaps the most unique part of her work. She treats love not just as a feeling, but as a logical extension of human reason and the "highest form" of self-consciousness, and the Integration of Faith in which she is trying to bridge the gap between rigorous logic and poetic/spiritual experience.

Condition

This copy is in very good condition for age, there are a few small marks to the cloth binding, most noticeably a white spot to the spine, and a previous owner's name to the ffep but otherwise remaining in strong readable condition.