Michael Escott Ruse

Michael Escott Ruse was born June 21, 1940, in Birmingham, England, and died the morning of November 1, 2024; he was an intellectual titan. After completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Bristol, he moved to Canada to complete a master’s degree at McMaster University. During the expansion of Ontario’s university system in the 1960s, he obtained a faculty position at the fledgling University of Guelph. During a year-long leave, he returned to the University of Bristol to complete a PhD in the nascent field of philosophy of biology, placing him among the field’s founders. He often remarked that it was during this year that he discovered that he was a talented writer. The first of his over 70 books, which cover a wide variety of topics – many translated in other languages – was The Philosophy of Biology, which became a foundational treatise in the field. He founded the first journal in the field Biology and Philosophy and was a founding member of the International Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Biology. He was a leading expert on Victorian science and society and Darwinian evolution. In 2000, he accepted a position as Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy, and the Director of the History and Philosophy of Science Program at Florida State University. He was a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Canada (1986) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The University of Bergen, McMaster University, the University of New Brunswick and University College London conferred on him honorary doctorates. He frequently commented on his love for and gratitude to his wife, Lizzie (married February 16, 1985), and the joy that his five children, Nigel, Rebecca, Emily, Oliver and Edward; and seven grandchildren, Christian, Brayden, Sawyer, Ariel, Lucy, Anastasia and Alice brought him. He will be missed by them and the many others whose lives he enriched. Although he was a complicated and controversial person, he also was generous, kind and nurturing, in part due to his early upbringing in the Society of Friends (Quakers) – as he would let those around him know. His family, friends and the world have lost a giant. Lizzie, his children and grandchildren invite friends and family of all ages to stop by the Ruse Home (651 E. 6th Ave. 32303) on Friday, Nov. 8th from 6-8pm. Guests are welcome to bring a potted plant or bottle of wine, and stories and memories to share.

Michael Escott Ruse

June 21, 1940 - November 1, 2024