Principia Ethica
by G. E. Moore
Principia Ethica is G. E. Moore's work of moral philosophy, published by Cambridge University Press in October 1903. Moore argues that good cannot be defined and that equating it with natural properties commits the naturalistic fallacy. The Bloomsbury Group treated it as a guiding text.
- Editions tracked
- 1
- First edition
- University Press, 1903
- First published
- Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1903
The first edition of Principia Ethica by G. E. Moore was published in Cambridge by University Press in 1903. We track 1 edition.
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First edition
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Awards, adaptations and setting
In print
- Editions recorded
- 56 on Open Library, 37 in English
- Wikipedia
- Articles in 11 languages
- Free to read
- Project Gutenberg (out of copyright in the US)
From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
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How to Identify a First Edition
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Read the guide →7 min readDust Jackets Explained: Why the Jacket Drives a Book's Value
For most books published since the 1920s, the original dust jacket carries a large share of the value, often most …
Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
Who published the first edition of Principia Ethica?
The first edition of Principia Ethica by G. E. Moore was published in Cambridge by University Press in 1903.
How many editions of Principia Ethica are there?
We track 1 edition of Principia Ethica, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
Can I read Principia Ethica for free?
Yes: the text is out of copyright in the United States and free to read on Project Gutenberg. Collectors still pay for the first edition, which is the physical object, not the words.
Where these facts come from
- Principia Ethica, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- Principia Ethica, Project Gutenberg, 2016 (gutenberg.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 29 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.