Giordano Bruno : his life and thought /
with annotated translation of his work, On the infinite universe and worlds, by Dorothea Waley Singer.
- New York : Henry Schuman, Inc., 1950
- xi, 389 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm.
Includes list of illustrations, index, and four appendices: a list of Bruno's writings, printers of Bruno, surviving manuscripts of Bruno's works, and a select bibliography of Bruno's philosophy.
Chapter one, Youth -- Chapter two, Bruno in England (1583-85) -- Chapter three, Cosmology and philosophy of Bruno -- Chapter four, The Italian cosmological works -- Chapter five, The Italian ethical works -- Chapter six, Last wanderings: the great Latin poems and other Latin writings -- Chapter seven, Martyrdom (1591-1600) -- Chapter eight, Influence of Bruno.
"Giordano Bruno was a man with dangerous thoughts. As a monk in a backward monastery in southern Italy he first fell into disgrace for studying the works of Erasmus. He renounced his vows, and his life from there on was one of constant flight and persecution until he finally perished at the stake in Rome on February 20, 1600. Giordano Bruno is remembered as one of the 'martyrs of science.' He was, in fact, among the early admirers of Copernicus whom he followed in maintaining that the earth moved round the sun. But he has an importance far beyond this for his conception of the universe as infinite, devoid of center and circumference. Many of his contributions to scientific and philosophic thought, here treated in simple terms by [Dorothea Waley] Singer, anticipated modern physical conceptions. This is the story of a heroic and fearless but exasperating man. The ebullience of Bruno's thoughts, his stormy eloquence, and his strong personality brought him a large and enthusiastic following in the courts and universities of 16th century Europe. Yet with all his talents he was totally devoid of worldly wisdom and incapable of prudent silence. His daring ideas brought embarrassment wherever he went, and in the end he was always forced to seek yet another refuge passing from court to court, from university to university" -- from the preface.