Ronald J. Glossop (born 1933) is an American philosopher, peace studies scholar, and longtime advocate for world federalism and the international language Esperanto. He is Professor Emeritus of Philosophical Studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), where he taught from 1965 to 1998, rising from assistant professor (1965 to 1968) to associate professor (1968 to 1973) and professor (1973 to 1998) before taking emeritus status. He earned his Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis and earlier taught at Boise Junior College and Portland State University.
Glossop’s scholarship centers on the causes of war and the case for democratic global governance. His best known books are “Confronting War: An Examination of Humanity’s Most Pressing Problem” (first published 1983, fourth edition 2001) and “World Federation? A Critical Analysis of Federal World Government” (1993), the latter later translated into Esperanto as “Monda Federacio?”. He also wrote “Philosophy: An Introduction to Its Problems and Vocabulary” (1974) and contributed to journals in philosophy, religion, gifted education, peace education, global issues, and Esperanto.
A committed world citizen, Glossop has been active in Citizens for Global Solutions (the successor to the World Federalist Association) and championed transforming the United Nations into a democratic “United Federation of Nations.” In the Esperanto movement he served as president of the American Association of Teachers of Esperanto (2009 to 2018), on the board of Esperanto-USA, and as a vice president of the International League of Esperanto Teachers (ILEI), arguing that a neutral world language supports global cooperation while protecting linguistic diversity.
