HUARTE, Jean “L’Examen des Esprits Pour les Sciences” [Gabriel Blanc, 1668] Psychiatry

“L’Examen des esprits pour les sciences. Ou sont monstrees les differences d’Esprits, qui se trouvent parmy les hommes, & a quelle sorte de science chacun est propre en particulier.” par Jean Huarte [Gabriel Blanc, 1668]. Early French translation of one of the founding books of modern psychiatry. 32mo. Two volumes in one, complete. 34pp Preface + 428pp (although 422-428 mislabeled as 122-128) + 18pp Notes/TOC. Bookplate of Charles E. Goshen, hand colored, on frontis. Front hinge weak with cracks forming inside/out. Leather of spine above top band lacking. Text quite foxed. Good.

Jean Huarte’s L’Examen des esprits pour les sciences (The Examination of Minds for the Sciences), originally published in Spanish in 1575, holds significant historical value as one of the earliest works to explore the relationship between human intellect and the pursuit of knowledge. Huarte, a Spanish physician and scholar, presented a novel approach by categorizing individuals based on their intellectual capacities and suggesting that different people possess varied aptitudes for different fields of study. His work challenged the traditional Aristotelian view of universal intellect and proposed that intellectual diversity should guide educational and professional paths. In doing so, Huarte laid the groundwork for later developments in psychology, educational theory, and even modern personality assessments. His emphasis on understanding cognitive differences and tailoring learning to individual strengths was revolutionary for its time, making L’Examen des esprits an early precursor to the field of psychology.