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A History of Western Philosophy: Medieval – GI 26 005

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11 May 2026 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm BST

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Tutor: Karim Esmail BA, MPhil, MPhil, PhD

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Details

Date: 11 May 2026
Time:
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Length of Course:
8 Mondays
No Session On:
4 & 25 May
Reference Code:
GI 26 005
Location:
Ward Street
Guildford, Surrey GU1 4LH

Overview

Western philosophy is divided into three great periods: Ancient; Medieval; Modern.

This course is an introduction to some of the key elements in the thought of some of the most influential philosophers of the Medieval period.

We will consider to begin Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, and Duns Scotus. It then considers al Kindi, al Farabi, ibn Sina, and al Ghazali.

No prior specialist knowledge is required to attend this course.

Suggested reading:

Kenny, A., A New History of Western Philosophy (Oxford, 2012).  

(For further reading, see, in the first instance, its bibliography.)

Tags

The Four Doctors of the Western Church: Saint Augustine of Hippo (354–430), Gerard Seghers (attr), sourced from Wikimedia commons

This date isn’t the first in the event series. For more information on ticket availability, please get in touch.

01483 562142

Office hours are Monday to Friday 9.30am to 5.00pm

About the Speaker

Karim Esmail

Dr. Karim Esmail was educated at London, Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard. He was awarded a British Academy Studentship and the Gregg Bury Prize at Cambridge. He was formerly, a Research Fellow at Oxford and Burney Student at Cambridge and a Visiting Fellow at Harvard and he lectures at both Cambridge and Oxford. Alongside international articles, he is the author of three volumes of an original philosophical work on the nature and existence of God. Classes with Karim consist of clearly structured lectures and an encouragement to ask questions and to make comments.  Students are assisted in their understanding of the subject and in their critical engagement with it.

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