Robert M. Burns *72

Robert died Dec. 26, 2020, in London, of COVID-19.

Born Aug. 1, 1942, in Preston, Lancashire, UK, Robert completed undergraduate degrees in history and theology and earned a doctorate in philosophy of religion at Princeton in 1972. 

Robert was a lecturer in the Department of Historical and Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths College, London. At Goldsmiths he introduced and developed courses in the history of philosophy, including a course in the philosophy of history out of which emerged his highly regarded anthology Philosophies of History: From Enlightenment to Post-Modernity. Along with numerous scholarly articles, Robert also published The Great Debate on Miracles: From Joseph Glanvill to David Hume, which was an outgrowth of his Princeton doctoral dissertation. 

Robert loved to travel and had a special interest in English gardens, which he visited regularly throughout the UK. 

Predeceased by his sister, Robert lived alone and did not leave behind any family members. He is survived by several loyal friends, including Edward Langerak *72, a fellow graduate student in Princeton’s religion department.

Graduate alumni memorials are prepared by the APGA.