MACKINTOSH, Sir JAMES (1765-1532). An English philosopher, born at Aldourie, Inverness shire. He studied at King's College, Aberdeen. where his most intimate companion was Robert Hall (q.v.), afterwards the celebrated Baptist preacher. From King's College he proceeded to Edinburgh in 1784 to study medicine; and hav ing in 1787 obtained his diploma, settled in Lon don, where for some time he supported himself by writing for the newspapers. The first work that brought him into notice was his tindieim (1791), in reply to Burke's Reflectiosta on the French Revolution. In many respects it was considered greatly to have surpassed the philippic against which it was directed, and was not only lauded by the Liberals, hut was highly esteemed by Burke himself. Fox, Sheridan. and other leading Whigs sought the author's ac quaintance; and when the association of the 'Friends of the People' was formed, he was ap pointed secretary. About this time he began to turn his attention to the legal profession, and having in 1795 been called to the bar, soon at tained high eminence as a forensic lawyer. In
1790 he delivered before the bendier; of Lincoln's Inn a course of lectures on the law of nature and of nations which were attended by large au diences. His defense of Peltier (February 21, 1S03), charged with libel against Bonaparte, was translated into French by lime. she Stael, and scattered broadcast over Europe. In 1806 Mac kintosh was appointed a judge of the Vice Admiralty Court at Bombay, where he remained until 181]. After his return to England he en tered Parliament as Whig member for Nairn (1513), accepted the professorship of law in the College of Haileybury in ISIS, and in 1S30 be came a member of the hoard of control under the Grey Ministry, when. as his last great political effort. he spoke in favor of the Reform Bill.