James F. Ross

James Francis Ross (October 9, 1931 – July 12, 2010) was an American philosopher whose work spanned fields such as philosophy of religion, philosophy of law, metaphysics, and philosophy of mind. He was affiliated with the Philosophy Department at the University of Pennsylvania from 1962 until his passing in 2010. Ross's academic journey included a strong foundation in philosophy and law, with degrees from Catholic University of America, Brown University (Ph.D. in 1958), and the University of Pennsylvania Law School (J.D. in 1974). He was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1975. His academic career began at the University of Michigan before moving to the University of Pennsylvania in 1962, where he progressed through the ranks to become a full professor in 1968. Ross also held visiting appointments at prestigious institutions like Johns Hopkins, the Institute for Advanced Study, and Darwin College, Cambridge. His research interests were broad, focusing on medieval philosophy, philosophy of language, law, and religion. Over his extensive career, he authored over 100 articles, several translations, and four books, including his final work, "Thought and World" (2008), which presented a realist account of thought and world, challenging contemporary analytic philosophy assumptions. His scholarly work on analogy, starting with his doctoral thesis, led to influential articles and his monograph "Portraying Analogy." Ross also served as president of the Society for Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy from 1984 to 1986.