We know of the early philosophical texts. We also can track down things like the first journal, the first conference proceedings, the first novel etc.
But who wrote the first 'commercial' or widely published academic / scientific text book?
What was it on - who published it - are copies available?
There were grammar textbooks as early as 4th century (e.g. Donatus's Ars grammatica) and other types of textbooks possibly much earlier.
Lots of the well known philosophical texts, as well as the Greek tragedies, Roman poets etc. were also in existence then, but how 'commercial' or widely distributed were they? I think we have to consider printed as opposed to hand copied to get a like comparison. I am sure that these original texts were among the first to be printed (for wider distribution), but I only find religious texts among the earliest examples. The Ars grammatica is a book, but it was produced before the time of commercial printing. What sort of places / people had a copy?
https://printinghistory.org/timeline/
The oldest dated printed text known is The Diamond Sutra, a Chinese translation of a Buddhist text now preserved in the British Library. - 868 The oldest existing educational institution in the world is the University of Karueein,which was founded in 859 AD in Fez, Morocco. I am not sure how many printed texts were around at this time, or of they were what we would call a 'textbook'.
The University of Bologna was founded in 1088 and is the oldest in Europe. The first dated European document is a papal indulgence attributed to Gutenberg -1454
Germany, Italy & France are now printing religious texts, maps etc.
Printing begins at Oxford University - 1478. The University Press at Cambridge begins operation in 1584, and has done so continuously since. It lays claim to being both the world's oldest university press and the oldest printing & publishing house.
I guess I am looking for a specific volume (book as opposed to document) that we can locate a copy of. It should meet the criteria of what we now produce as an 'academic output', i.e. be commercially published, and made available (at the time) for purchase by individuals & institutions. I can place the 1st journal back to 1665, the 1st conference back to 1644, but I wonder what is the earliest book.
The manuscripts were produced 'commercially' in ancient times. There were 'businesses' using slaves to multiply them.
Anyways if you limit yourself to printed books I think it will be something around the time of Erasmus - I hope somebody will know.
Good to see that the idea of people 'slaving away' at their desks hasn't completely died out ! :-P
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Books