In Search of Zera Yacob — Ethiopia’s Humanist Philosopher w/ Dr Jonathan Egid

Reason, doubt, and dignity in 17th-century Ethiopia. 📜✨

CLH & Association of Black Humanists present: In Search of Zera Yacob with Dr Jonathan Egid

We’re delighted to continue our Global Origins of Humanism series—exploring world philosophies that have shaped humanist thought—with a deep dive into the Ethiopian texts known as the Ḥatäta. Often associated with Zera Yacob (and his student Walda Heywat), these works champion rational inquiry, ethical reflection, and the worth of the individual—ideas that resonate strikingly with modern humanism.

In this talk, Dr Jonathan Egid, (Lecturer in African Philosophy at SOAS and BBC New Generation Thinker 2024) introduces the Ḥatäta, unpacks their arguments, and explains the long-running authorship debate: are these genuine 17th-century Ethiopian treatises—or later forgeries? And what’s at stake, historically and politically, in that question?

We’ll explore:

• The Ḥatäta’s core themes: reason, critique of dogma, conscience, and human dignity
• How Zera Yacob’s ideas sit within Ethiopian intellectual traditions (and alongside early modern philosophy elsewhere)
• The authorship controversy and why it matters for global histories of philosophy
• What these texts contribute to today’s humanist values and practice

💬 A live Q&A will follow the talk.

About the speaker
Dr Jonathan Egid teaches philosophy at SOAS, University of London. His doctoral research at King’s College London examined the Ḥatäta Zär’a Yaʿǝqob and the debate over their authorship. He co-edited the recent open-access volume on the Ḥatäta debate and organised the first international conference dedicated to these texts. Jonathan is a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Thinker (2024) and hosts Philosophising In…, a project highlighting philosophy in less-studied languages.

Learn more about Dr Egid and the topic:

• 🌐In Search of Zera Yacob (project page): jonathanegid.com/in-search-of-zera-yacob
• 🗂️ Zera Yacob Conference site: zerayacobconference.weebly.com
• 🎧 BBC Radio 3 – The Essay: “A Philosophical Forgery?” (New Generation Thinkers 2024)
• 📝 Article: “Yacob and Amo: Africa’s precursors to Locke, Hume and Kant”, Aeon

When & How to Join
Wednesday 15 October, 7:00–8:30pm (UK time) — Online (Zoom).

Please RSVP here on Meetup to receive your Zoom link.

This event is free and open to all. We don’t charge for online talks, but if you’re able, a £3 donation helps cover our costs and keeps the programme going. Please use this link to donate. Thank you!

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