John Anderson (1893-1962) was a Scottish born philosopher who occupied the post of Challis Professor of Philosophy at Sydney University in the years 1927-1958.
After arriving in Sydney in 1927 he became a member of the Australian Communist Party and remained a member until 1932 at which time he began to realise before many of his time the direction of communism under Stalin in Russia. After leaving the communist party he became aligned with the Trotskyist movement for a period of time.
John Anderson was a significant figure in the Sydney Push. He was a proponent of Free Speech and was critical of the Federal Government's bans on certain political publications (1928). He advocated religious and sexual freedoms and free discussion of issues.
He was censured by the Sydney University Senate in 1931 after criticising the role of war memorials in sanctifying war.
In 1943 he was censured by the Parliament of NSW after arguing that religion has no place in shcools.
He founded the Sydney University Free Thought Society which ran from 1931 to 1951. He was president of the society throughout that period.
In the later part of his life beginning in the 1950's he tended toward more conservative views. Although personally disallusioned with communism he oppossed Menzies's attempt to ban the party in the referendum of 1951.
A collection of writings has been published: "A Perilous & Fighting Life: The Political Writings of Professor John Anderson", Author: Mark Weblin (editor), Publisher: Pluto Press, 2003
