He taught philosophy before English
Lewis earned Firsts in Greats (Philosophy and Ancient History) in 1922, a First in English in 1923, and a First in Honour Moderations (Greek and Latin literature) in 1920 after returning to Oxford University. Even though many people are aware that Lewis's first full-time post was teaching English literature at Oxford University, many fewer people are aware that he also had a brief appointment there as a philosophy instructor, which is one of the interesting facts about C.S.Lewis. Literae Humaniores, an Oxford degree that incorporates the study of ancient history, philosophy, and the classics, made him eligible for the temporary position.
He even sought a professorship in philosophy at Trinity College, Oxford but failed to get it. The temporary employment he did land at University College, Oxford, was to fill in for Edgar Frederick Carritt, Lewis's philosophy instructor. He spent 30 years there teaching, although he never received the title of professor. He was only a "don," though. What's the distinction? In the UK, a "tutor" or "lecturer" of a certain topic is known as a "don." A professor frequently serves as the department chair and has a more accommodating schedule.
At Oxford's Magdalen College, where he served for over thirty years, from 1924 to 1954, he was afterward made a Fellow. In 1954, Lewis was elected a fellow of Magdalene College and given the newly established Mediaeval and Renaissance Literature chair at Cambridge University. He said that there was no English Renaissance in his chosen academic discipline. His scholarly work largely focused on the later Middle Ages, particularly its allegoric application. His 1936 book The Allegory of Love revived the serious study of late-medieval literature like the Roman de la Rose.
