Man's Moral Nature : An Essay

Trübner & Co,, London, first edition, 1879. Cloth, blindstamped borders on covers, small 8vo, 21 cm,. xiii, 200 pp, 2 tissue-guarded plates. From the introduction - "The object of this essay is to discuss the moral nature - to point out, in the first place, its general relation to the other groups of functions belonging to, or rather making up, the individual man, and also its relations to man’s environment. Secondly, to show its radical separation from these other groups of functions ; then to attempt to decide of what organ it is a function - to consider whether it is a fixed quantity, or whether, like the active nature and the intellectual nature, it is in course of development. And if the moral nature is progressive, to try to find out what the essential nature of this progress is - upon what basis the progress itself rests - the direction of the progress in the past and in the future - its causes - its history - and the law of it - and to point out the conclusions which can be drawn from this progress as to the character of the universe in which we live. Harry Buxton Forman's copy, with his (oddly undated) purchase inscription 'bought by me this day at Trubners at 11.43 a.m., Harry Buxton Forman" and further inscribed in a different hand 'Given to Alfred Forman', both on the front free endpaper. A splendid association copy as Harry Forman and Bucke were great friends and conducted a substantial correspondence; it was after an evening with Harry and his brother Alfred that Bucke experienced the famous episode of 'Cosmic Consciousness' which led to his 1901 book of that name and subsequent fame. Covers a little stained and spotted, faint waterstaining to most leaves (mild but affecting about one-third of the page at the start of the book and fading in tone and extent to unnoticeable towards the end).