Henry David Aiken – Collection (25 items)

A wonderful collection of materials from the personal library of Charles Goldman Professor of Philosophy and History of Ideas, Henry David Aiken / Henry David Aiken (1912–1982) was an American professor of philosophy, studied at Stanford and Harvard and taught Philosophy at Columbia University and the University of Washington before settling with Harvard for close to two decades (1946–1965). Aiken continued and ended his career at Brandeis University (Wikipedia)

Henry David Aiken, Collection of manuscript material, offprints, association-copies

Aiken, Henry David / John Rawls / Donald Davidson / Rudolf Carnap / Roderick M. Chisholm / Nelson Goodman / Raphael Demos and others.

Collection of manuscript material, offprints, association-copies and books from the library and personal collection of Professor Henry David Aiken, American Philosopher, specialist on Analytic Philosophy, Aesthetics, Ethics and Education at the Universities of Columbia, Harvard, Michigan and Brandeis. The collection reflects Aiken’s deep connections to the important postwar-period of great thinkers at American Universities like Harvard and Brandeis. Aiken was friends with John Rawls, Raphael Demos, Daniel Bell, Arnold Kaufman, Stephen Toulmin, Israel Scheffler. Aiken’s “Beloved teacher” and mentor was Ralph Barton Perry (see his dedication in “Predicament of the University”). More importantly, Aiken was accepted as scholar and friend around important thinkers like Willard Van Orman Quine, Alfred North Whitehead, Robert Nozick and John Rawls. The collection includes first edition offprints from nearly all of these mentioned, including the rare first appearance of John Rawls’ “Justice as Fairness” in its original wrappers-issue from 1957 [See on our website images under “Libraries & Collections”]. The collection also includes materials previously inscribed and gifted to fellow philosophers in Aiken’s circle of friends, now reunited with this Archive. [Please enquire for access to excellent photographs and descriptions to each title, included in this collection]. The collection includes for example the Proof of Aiken’s publication “The Predicament of the University” [Working-Title: “The Future of the University”] – This title is of great interest alone, with Aiken’s annotations. Also included is the first edition of Aiken’s personal copy of his Thesis for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts: “Hegel’s Philosophy of Fine Art – A Study with special reference to the Theory of Tragedy”. Among the collection are roughly 200 offprints, often with dedications and inscriptions to colleagues. [Each title is listed in detail, with images, on our website under “Libraries & Collections” (click on “Henry D. Aiken Collection”).

Harvard / Brandeis / Cambridge (Mass.) etc., c. 1935 – 1975. Octavo & Quarto. More than 2000 pages. Original Softcover / Stapled. Very good condition with only minor signs of wear.

EUR 7.500,-- 

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Typed Letter signed from american philosopher John Wild to Philosopher Henry David Aiken

16. [Maluf, Brother Francis] Wild, John / Aiken, Henry D.

Typed Letter signed from american philosopher John Wild to Philosopher Henry David Aiken, informing Aiken: “I missed you especially two weeks ago when I attempted to defend a realistic view of ethics in terms of the concept of natural law. I am not sure, but I think you might have been in agreement with some of the points I tried to make as over against Lewis’ Kantian subjectivism and Demos’ [Raphael Demos] extreme Platonism….”. Besides some further niceties, John Wild talks in this letter intensely about Christian Arab Philosopher Francis Maluf, from Mashrah, Lebanon, who could be in John Wild’s mind the perfect “section man for your Phil A course”. Wild continues to praise the syrian, Maluf, who had been “teaching Mathematics and Physics in a war job out of Worcester and who has been keeping up his interest in philosophy by attenting courses around here, organizing discussion groups and other intellectual activities which amaze me by their versatility and intensity”. John Wild continues: “He has been offered a permanent job at the University of Beirut in Syria to teach Philosophy there (he is a friend of Malik’s) but if possible wants to stay around here for another year to study and learn before he goes back.” [Maluf had converted to catholicism in 1940 and was later known as Brother Francis Maluf.

Cambridge, April 15th, 1945. Octavo. 2 pages. Softcover. Very good condition with only minor signs of wear. Original two-page-letter with original envelope.

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Rawls, "Justice as Fairness" [First Edition of the First Appearance of John Rawls' Theory of "Justice as Fairness"

20. Rawls, John / [Provenance: Henry David Aiken Collection].

“Justice as Fairness” [First Edition of the First Appearance of John Rawls’ Theory of “Justice as Fairness” which would lead to “A Theory of Justice”. This is the very rare Double Number of the separate Double Number-Issue in its original wrappers-version; Provenance: from the library of John Rawls’ friend, Henry David Aiken. [in: “The Journal of Philosophy” – Volume LIV. No.222: October 24, 1957 (Double Number) – Contents: American Philosophical Association Eastern Division – Symposium Papers – To be presented at the Fifty-Fourth Annual Meeting, Harvard University, December 27-29, 1957: Symposium: “Justice a Fairness” – I. “Justice as Fairness”: John Rawls [pages 653 – 651] / II.Justice as Fairness: “A Modernized Version of the Social Contract”: Everett W. Hall [pages 662 – 669] / Symposium: “The Evidence for Esthetic Judgment” – I. “The Importance of a Choice of Context”: Mortimer R. Kadish [pages 670 – 678] / II. On the Grounds of Esthetic Judgment: Albert Hofstadter [pages 679 – 687] / Symposium: “Substance and Form in Aristotle” – I. “Substance and Form in Aristotle”: Wilfrid Sellars [pages 688 – 698] / II. Forms of Particular Substances in Aristotle’s Metaphysics: Rogers Albritton [pages 699 – 707]//

New York, The Journal of Philosophy, 1957. Octavo. pages 653 – 712. Original Offprint / Stapled Wrappers. Very good condition with some minor signs of wear only and some mild staining to front and rear wrapper. From the library of Professor Henry David Aiken.

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