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Lot 155

BABBAGE, CHARLES. 1791-1871.
The Ninth Bridgewater Treatise. A Fragment. London: John Murray, 1837.

4 June 2014, 13:00 EDT
New York

US$500 - US$800

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BABBAGE, CHARLES. 1791-1871.

The Ninth Bridgewater Treatise. A Fragment. London: John Murray, 1837.
8vo. [4], xxii, [23]-244, [1] ad pp. Half-title. 20th century calf, red morocco spine label. Pale stain along top margin at ends.

"THEN GOD IS A MAN OF SCIENCE AND A PROGRAMMER WRIT LARGE...." FIRST EDITION OF BABBAGE'S ONLY PHILOSOPHICAL WORK. The Bridgewater Treatises arose from a bequest of the Earl of Bridgewater for the writing of 8 works to advance natural religion. Babbage was not chosen to write one of the 8 treatises, his Ninth Bridgewater Treatise is in fact a rebuttal of the general prejudice that the pursuits of science are adversarial to religion and in particular the arguments of William Whewell, who authored the Third Bridgewater Treatise. "Babbage's philosophy is unique. It is presented with much grace and the 'Fragment' is an elegant work" (Hyman p 137). Origins of Cyberspace 55; Van Sinderen 51.

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