Lot n° 46
Estimation :
400 - 500
EUR
[MORELLY (Étienne-Gabriel)]. Naufrage des isles flottantes, - Lot 46
[MORELLY (Étienne-Gabriel)]. Naufrage des isles flottantes, or Basiliade of the famous Pilpai. Heroic poem. Messina [Paris], Par une Société de libraires, 1753. 2 volumes in-12, marbled calf, ornate spine, red title and green tomaison, red edges (Period binding).
INED, n°3319. - Versins, p. 602.
The most important socialist utopia of the 18th century (Lichtenberger, Le socialisme au XVIIIe siècle, p. 113), written by Morelly, the author of the Code de la nature in 1755.
Original-date edition, with XLI introductory pages in Volume I, decorated with a frontispiece portrait.
This utopian novel marks the author's transition to communist ideas... In allegorical form, [it] depicts a society founded on communist principles, broken down into small independent economic groups, each numbering a hundred people. Morelly presents a society without vices, governed by natural laws and achieving happiness through the destruction of "floating islands", i.e. frivolous prejudices (Hartig& Soboul, p. 54).
Covers and corners skilfully restored.
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