Esquisse d'un Tableau Historique des Progres de L'Esprit Humain, Suive de Reflexions Sur L'Esclavage des Negres: Sketch for a Historical Picture of the Progress of the Human Mind, Followed by Reflections on the Slavery of Negroes

Early copy of "Esquisse d'un Tableau Historique des Progres de L'Esprit Humain" (Sketch for a Historical Picture of the Progress of the Human Mind) Suive de (followed by) "Reflexions Sur L'Esclavage des Negres" (Reflections on the Slavery of Negroes) by Marquis de Condorcet. 1822; Chez Masson et Fils, Libraires; Paris. The book is written entirely in French. Leather covers with decorative gilt borders and gilt decorations on the spine; marbled end papers and marbling on all page edges. With a Table of Contents at the back of the book.

Condorcet, who denounced slavery, was a French philosopher and mathematician. His ideas, including support for a liberal economy, free and equal public instruction, constitutional government, and equal rights for women and people of all races, have been said to embody the ideals of the Age of Enlightenment and Enlightenment rationalism. In "Sketch for a Historical Picture of the Progress of the Human Mind" (originally published in 1795), he dealt with theoretical thought on perfecting the human mind and analyzing intellectual history based on social arithmetic. In "Reflections on Negro Slavery" (originally published in 1781), he argued against slavery and introduced a program to gradually abolish it.

The contents are arranged into the following sections:
* Esquisse d'un Tableau Historique des Progres de L'Esprit Humain (Sketch of a Historical Picture of the Progress of the Human Mind)
* Reflexions Sur L'Esclavage des Negres (Reflexions on the Slavery of Negroes) by M. Schwartz (Condorcet's pseudonym), with a "Dedication to Negro Slaves"
* Au Corps Electoral, Contre L'Esclavage des Noirs (The Electoral Body, Against Black Slavery)
* Sur L'Admission des Deputes des Planteurs de Saint-Domingue dans L'Assemblee Nationale (On the Admission of Deputies of Planters from Saint-Domingue to the National Assembly)
* Adresse a L'Assemblee Nationale, sur Les Conditions d'Eligibilite (Address to the National Assembly on the Conditions of Eligibility)

Condition:
Scuffing/rubbing to the leather covers; the top of the spine is worn down and has 1" tears at the left and right edges; light wear to the bottom 2 corner tips. Tight binding with no cracks and no loose pages. The pages are mostly clean with only some light occasional foxing; worm holes at the lower-inner corners of pages 266-336. Staining along the outer edges of the pastedowns.