Inaugural Lecture | Double Truth and Multiple Rationalisms: Philosophy in Islam's Post-Classical Period

Join us for Professor Frank Griffel's inaugural lecture examining post-classical philosophy in Islam and its development beyond the 12th century.

Description:

There is still a widely held assumption in Western societies but also among many Muslims that the tradition of Greek philosophy had a good run in early Islam until it was suppressed by religious authorities. The evidence, however, points into a different direction. Islamic philosophers continued to be active after the 12th century, and they taught at institutions of higher education up until the colonial period in the 19th century. Beginning with the 12th century, however, the character of philosophy in the Islamic world changes, which may have contributed to the widespread misunderstanding. This lecture looks at post-classical philosophy in Islam and describes its main features. These represent an original path of dealing with some long-debated philosophical problems.

Event Details

Date and Time: Tuesday 26 May 2026, 17:00 (followed by drinks reception)

Venue: Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, Oxford

Registration

Registration is free.

To book your place, click here. 

About the Speaker

Professor Frank Griffel is Professor of the Study of Abrahamic Religions at the University of Oxford. He has published widely in Islamic philosophy and theology, as well as in Muslim intellectual history, with particular work on figures such as al-Ghazālī and on broader questions of religious authority and rationality.