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2026 RBMS Virtual Showcase

June 23-26, 2026

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[LAW - CRIMINAL CONFESSION]. De Obligatione rei ad confitendum factum suum [...] Sub praesidio [...] Johannis Ihre (Dissertatio Philosophica)

Tegnaeus, Johan (dissertant). Johan Ihre (thesis advisor)

$850
Offered by Michael Laird Rare Books LLC
  • Condition: Very good
  • Edition: First Edition
  • Location: Uppsala
  • Date: 1743
  • Seller SKU: 4583

Uppsala, 1743. First Edition. Very good. Small 4to (195 x 150 mm). 16 pp., roman, Greek and Hebrew type, fine woodcut headpiece vignette depicting the Tetragramaton, large 8-line woodcut initial. Stab-stitch sewn dissertation pamphlet, later gilt marbled spine reinforcement in the style of the period (some staining and wrinkling). THE MORAL AND LEGAL OBLIGATIONS TO CONFESS TO A CRIME AND THE LIMITS OF STATE POWER.

Submitted to Uppsala University, and supervised by Johannis Ihre (who identified the Codex Argenteus as Wulfila's Gothic Bible), this remarkable dissertation "De Obligatione Rei Ad Confitendum Factum Suum" explores whether -- and under what circumstances -- an individual is morally and legally obligated to confess to a crime they have committed. Our author, Johan Tegnaeus, examines two central questions:

1. Whether someone who knows themselves to be guilty of a wrongdoing is obliged to voluntarily report themselves to the authorities; and:
2. Whether a defendant, once formally accused, must admit guilt if the accusation is true.

Tegnaeus here explores natural law, moral philosophy, and legal theory, and. In a novel approach he emphasizes the importance of conscience in the context of the integrity of civil society. Ultimately he argues that a guilty party is indeed obligated to confess WHEN their wrongdoing threatens the public good, but not in every circumstance (!), for example: when repentance and restitution have already occurred privately, and no public interest remains at stake.

The thesis advisor was Johannis Ihre (1707-1780) was a pioneering Swedish philologist and professor at Uppsala University, best known for his foundational work in comparative linguistics.

A SIGNIFICANT DISSERTATION, notable for its treatment of moral responsibility and legal obligation in Swedish Enlightenment-era jurisprudence.

COPIES LOCATED: Harvard, Univ. Greifswald, BL, Univ. Uppsala, Univ. Sodertorn, and Univ. Dusseldorf. Surprisingly, this dissertation is not in the Robbins Collection, UC Berkeley.

CATALOGUER'S NOTE: We are grateful to Dr. Emerson Richards for her assistance in cataloguing this pamphlet.

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Michael Laird Rare Books LLC
Specializing in African-Americana, Ephemera, Fine And Historic Bookbindings, Illustrated Books, Latin Americana, Manuscripts, Oriental Printed Books And Manuscripts, Western Americana and Women's Studies.
Michael Laird is the sole proprietor of Michael Laird Rare Books. He has over thirty years' experience working with rare books and manuscripts. Mr. Laird earned his Masters Degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Texas at Austin in 1989. He has taught graduate level courses on Rare Books and Special Collections Librarianship at New York University (SCPS), Palmer School of Library and Information Science, and the University of Texas at Austin (School of Information). Michael Laird is a Certified member of the Appraisers Association of America (AAA) and is USPAP Compliant through October 2025. He is the principal appraiser of rare books, manuscripts, archives, and documents for Winston Art Group (New York) and Gurr Johns Inc. (New York), the largest art appraisal companies in the United States. He is an active member in the Grolier Club, and has published a number of scholarly articles and reviews, the most recent being a 3-part biography of Bernard Breslauer which appeared in the Gazette of the Grolier Club.

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Michael Laird
PO Box 299
Lockhart, Texas 78644
Phone/Text: (917) 747-5953
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