John Sallis

John Cleveland Sallis (October 2, 1938 – February 18, 2025) was an American philosopher known for his work in the tradition of phenomenology. From 2005 until his death, he was the Frederick J. Adelmann Professor of Philosophy at Boston College. He previously taught at Pennsylvania State University (1996–2005), Vanderbilt University (1990–1995), Loyola University of Chicago (1983–1990), Duquesne University (1966–1983) and the University of the South (1964–1966).

Background Sallis obtained his doctorate from Tulane University in 1964. His dissertation was entitled The Concept of World. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Freiburg, Germany.

Sallis died on February 18, 2025, at the age of 86. He was the brother of writer James Sallis.

Academic interests Sallis was known for his work on imagination and his careful readings of Plato. He also wrote on phenomenology, Martin Heidegger, Jacques Derrida, Immanuel Kant, Johann Gottlieb Fichte, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, and Friedrich Nietzsche, among many other figures and topics. He was the founding editor of the journal Research in Phenomenology.