Michael Ruse

Michael Ruse (June 21, 1940-) is a British-born philosopher of science and currently the Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University. Ruse is a Canadian citizen and taught for 35 years at the University of Guelph. He founded the journal Biology and Philosophy, has appeared as an expert plaintiff witness in the McLean v. Arkansas case in 1981.

Ruse's primary research interest is in philosophical issues around evolution, creationism and Intelligent Design - the latter two he fiercely opposes. The books Darwinism Defended: A Guide to the Evolution Controversies (1982), But is it Science? The Philosophical Questions in the Evolution/Creation Controversy (1988), Darwinism and Its Discontents (2006) and The Evolution/Creation Struggle (2005) defend this position. Darwin and evolutionary theory is fundamental to the rest of his work: Can a Darwinian be a Christian? The Relationship Between Science and Religion defends a thesis of compatibilism between evolutionary biology and Christian theism, while other works explore the concept of progress in evolution (Monad to Man) and respond to accusations that science is socially constructed (Mystery of Mysteries and Is Science Sexist?).

In 2006, a brief controversy arose when Ruse suggested that the "aggressive atheism" of Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett was helping the spread of creationism.