Ralph Cudworth (1617 – June 26, 1688) was an English philosopher and theologian, and a leading figure of the Cambridge Platonists. He served as Master of Clare College, Cambridge, and is recognized as one of the most important rationalist philosophers of 17th-century England. Cudworth is best known for his critique of atheism and materialism, particularly through his major work 'The True Intellectual System of the Universe' (1678), which significantly influenced later philosophical thought.