An academic life in Scotland
McIntyre is listed in Bloomsbury’s philosophy reference collection as living from 1868 to 1929. The title page of Giordano Bruno records master’s degrees from Edinburgh and Oxford, a doctorate in science from Edinburgh, and his position as Anderson Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen. Contemporary Aberdeen directories identify the lectureship’s subject as comparative psychology.
His childhood and private life are less well documented in the sources consulted. The book is dedicated to his wife, without naming her. His birthplace, family background and the stages of his education have not been securely established here.
Writing Giordano Bruno
Macmillan published Giordano Bruno in 1903. McIntyre dated its preface at Aberdeen on 16 July of that year. He wanted to address what he saw as inadequate attention to Bruno in English, while acknowledging the earlier biography published under the name I. Frith in 1887. His book divides into an account of Bruno’s life and a longer examination of his philosophy.
For the life, McIntyre used documents published by Domenico Berti, Théophile Dufour and others, together with personal references in Bruno’s writings. He wanted to illuminate Bruno’s time in England and his association with the French ambassador, Mauvissière, but admitted finding no documents directly concerning that visit.
For the philosophy, he chose passages from particular works rather than trying to organise everything into one system. He considered Bruno’s repetitions and obscurities better suited to selection than to a compact exposition. McIntyre aimed to minimise commentary, while acknowledging that selection and arrangement themselves involved interpretation.
