Amsterdam, Mortier, 1745, un volume in 12 relié en plein veau, dos orné de fers dorés, tranches rouges (reliure de l'époque), (petit accroc à la coiffe, coins émoussés, 24pp., 343pp.
---- PREMIERE EDITION FRANCAISE EN PARTIE ORIGINALE de l'ouvrage de BERKELEY paru dans sa version anglaise sous titre de "Siris". Cette édition française a été AUGMENTEE DES ADDITIONS ET CORRECTIONS COMMUNIQUEES PAR G. BERKELEY à M. BOUILLIER AVANT QU'IL N'ENTREPRENNE SA TRADUCTION ---- Ex libris Jean-René CLERGEAU ---- "The close interweaving of science with epistemology, as well as of metaphysics with theology, is very prominent in BERKELEY's last major work, Siris, which begins as an investigation of the medicinal virtues of tar water and ends with a disquisition on platonic philosophy. The body of the book consists, on the one hand, of a discussion of contemporary chemical theory and, on the other, of a critique of newtonian principles of explanation, of space and time and of the true interpretation of the concept of causation. The sections on chemistry are of particular interest, for they display considerable acquaintance with most of the major chemical doctrines of BERKELELY's period (e.g., Boerhaave, Homberg, Hales, Lemery, etc.), including a discussion of acids, salts, alkalies and air that leads to a discussion of fire and light, the latter providing a "bridge" to a spiritual interpretation of all phenomena. Siris thus involves an attempt to assimilate newtonian concepts to the pre complex phenomena of chemistry and animal physiology... BERKELEY's general influence extended to such writters as HUME, MACLAURIN and KANT in the eighteenth century and MILL, HELMHOLTZ and MACH in the nineteenth. He also anticipated many of the ideas of twentieth-century philosophers of science". (DSB II pp. 16/18) ---- Heirs of Hippocrates N° 805 & Cole N° 113 (english ed.) - Partington II p. 506**394(00).o3