Brian David Ellis

Brian Ellis FAHA (27 September 1929 – 21 November 2025) was an Australian philosopher. He was an Emeritus Professor in the philosophy department at La Trobe University in Victoria, Australia, and Professional Fellow in philosophy at the University of Melbourne. He was the Editor of the Australasian Journal of Philosophy for twelve years. Ellis was one of the major proponents of the New Essentialist school of philosophy of science. In later years he brought his understanding of scientific realism to the Social Sciences, developing the philosophy of Social Humanism. He was appointed a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities in 1972.

Ellis died on 21 November 2025, at the age of 96.