First edition. 8vo. xvi, 410 pp. Original red cloth, spine lettered and ruled in gilt, ruling continued to covers in blind, blue-green coated endpapers (neat pencilled annotations to recto of rear free endpaper, otherwise internally clean and unmarked, some trivial rubbing to tips of spine and corners, withal a near fine, notably bright copy). London, Swan Sonnenschein & Co, 1893.
A study of the influence of political philosophy on the development of economic science by the Scottish civil servant and political economist James Bonar (1852-1941), particularly valuable for its discussion of utilitarianism and ‘impressive command of things ‘German’ - from Kant, Fichte and Hegel down to Richard Wagner’ (New Palgrave). Indeed, Bonar’s grasp of German thought is particularly significant as he ‘was one of the first to introduce the work of the Austrian school of economists to English-speakers’ (ODNB). Bonar’s other writings include works on Malthus and Ricardo, as well as the catalogue of Adam Smith’s Library.
