Eugenios Voulgaris - Τα Αρέσκοντα Τοῖς Φιλοσόφοις (Natural Philosophy) – First Edition, Vienna Printing - 1805

A rare and important first edition (1805) of Τα Αρέσκοντα Τοῖς Φιλοσόφοις – Ἤτοι τὰ περὶ τῶν φύσει ὄντων φιλοσοφούμενα (What Philosophers Prefer – Natural Philosophy), authored by Eugenios Voulgaris (1716–1806), one of the foremost intellectual figures of the Modern Greek Enlightenment.

Printed in Vienna by Georgios Vendotis and published under the patronage of the Zosimades Brothers, this work represents a cornerstone of Greek philosophical and scientific thought at the turn of the 19th century.

Bibliographic Details

Author: Eugenios Voulgaris (Εὐγένιος Βούλγαρης, 1716–1806)

Title: Τα Αρέσκοντα Τοῖς Φιλοσόφοις
(What Philosophers Prefer – Natural Philosophy)

Publisher: Zosimades Brothers (Ζωσιμάδες)

Printer: Georgios Vendotis

Place: Vienna

Year: 1805

Edition: First Edition

Language: Greek

Pagination: VI + 432 + 1 (contents) + 20 folding scientific tables (complete)

Dimensions: approx. 23 cm × 18 cm

Binding: Original paper binding

About the Work

Τα Αρέσκοντα Τοῖς Φιλοσόφοις is a seminal text in natural philosophy, through which Voulgaris introduced contemporary scientific knowledge—physics, cosmology, and metaphysics—to a Greek readership grounded in Orthodox tradition.

Rather than rejecting theology, Voulgaris sought to harmonize Enlightenment science with Orthodox Christian thought, arguing that the laws of nature reflect divine order and wisdom. The work bridges Aristotelian philosophy with modern scientific ideas circulating in Europe at the time, marking a decisive step toward intellectual modernization in Greek education.

Financed by the Zosimades Brothers, leading benefactors of Greek letters, the book was initially distributed freely to Greek scholars and later officially circulated by the newly established Greek state in 1832, underscoring its enduring national and educational importance.

About the Author

Eugenios Voulgaris was an Orthodox archbishop, philosopher, and polymath whose influence spanned philosophy, theology, mathematics, physics, astronomy, linguistics, and classical studies. Educated under Methodios Anthrakites, he became a central figure of the Greek Enlightenment, translating and editing major European works and advocating secular education.

His correspondence with Catherine II of Russia and his appeals for Greek liberation further highlight his role as both an intellectual and political thinker during a formative period of Greek national consciousness.

Condition

Original first edition

Complete with all 20 scientific tables

Expected age-related wear consistent with an early 19th-century paper-bound volume

Text and tables intact
Please consult the photographs for a detailed condition assessment.

Collectibility & Significance

First edition of a cornerstone work of the Greek Enlightenment

Commissioned by the Zosimades Brothers, major benefactors of modern Greece

Complete copy with all scientific tables present

Of exceptional interest to collectors of Greek intellectual history, Enlightenment philosophy, Orthodox scholarship, and early scientific literature

Shipping

The book will be carefully packed and shipped with tracking to ensure safe international delivery.