Jobs in Philosophy in Europe
Can and should philosophers employ large language models or other artificial intelligence tools in the course of doing ethics? Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), in collaboration with the inter-university research consortium, "Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies (ESDiT)," seeks to hire a PhD student for a four-year project on whether (and if so, how) philosophers can use AI technologies to improve ethics methodology.
Job Description
In the last few decades, philosophers have speculated about how AI systems could support or enhance individual moral reasoning, deliberation, and other moral functioning. Following recent developments in AI research, philosophers may well ask what role AI can play within ethics as a discipline. Can AI technologies be used to improve the methods of ethics, including the methods that ethicists of technology use for responding to socially disruptive technologies?
Socially disruptive technologies pose new types of ethical challenges. AI could conceivably help us respond to those challenges by facilitating better ethical theorizing and decision-making. For instance, philosophers might attempt to incorporate AI technologies into processes of conceptual analysis, conceptual engineering, reflective equilibrium, development of new ethical principles and theories, generation of possible arguments and objections, generation of counterexamples to theories, preliminary identification of morally significant risks and benefits in scenarios, and so on. One way to approach such an ambition would be by using finetuning and special prompting to create large language model-based systems to perform or assist with some of these tasks. Philosophers might also try using AI systems to support exploratory anticipation and prospection activities—developing AI systems that help generate technomoral scenarios with a range of salient features, for human discussion and reflection. To facilitate group deliberation, philosophers might incorporate AI into systems for more frequently and efficiently eliciting, analyzing, and aggregating beliefs and preferences within groups, identifying and characterizing points of overlap and disagreement, and helping humans communicate with other humans about what their values are, what norms they endorse, their reasons for their moral views, etc. Insofar as decisions about technology design, implementation, maintenance, modification, etc., should be informed by the values and preferences of stakeholders, researchers might use AI systems to more effectively request and synthesize inputs from ordinary people about how various designs are falling short in ethically-significant dimensions. Alternately, philosophers may want to develop AI agents for engaging in dialogue or negotiating on behalf of individuals or interest groups.
The project is not committed from the outset to the idea that AI systems should be incorporated into ethics methodology any time soon or even ever. There are many potential objections to incorporating AI into ethics—e.g. that human individuals bear special duties to perform certain aspects of ethical reasoning or discernment for themselves, that use of AI within certain ethics tasks would reduce the value of those tasks, or that the opaqueness of the AI systems involved mean that humans cannot rely on AI systems for certain purposes.
In this PhD project, the student will characterize some ways in which AI might conceivably be used to improve ethics methodology and they will develop and defend a position on whether humans should or should not attempt to incorporate AI into ethical methodology in those ways.
This PhD position will be part of the Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies (ESDiT) programme, a ten-year international research programme of seven academic institutions in the Netherlands that started in January 2020. This programme has a combined budget of €27 million and is funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) in the Gravitation funding scheme for excellent research, and by matching funds from the participating institutions. The duration of the programme is from January 2020 to December 2029. The programme has the aim of achieving breakthrough research in at the intersection of ethics, philosophy, technology/engineering and social sciences, and to position its consortium at the top of its field internationally. A key objective is to investigate how new technologies challenge moral values and ontological concepts (like “nature”, “human being” and “community”), and how these challenges necessitate a revision of these concepts. The programme includes four research lines, “Nature, Life and Human Intervention”, “The Future of a Free and Fair Society”, “The Human Condition,” and “Foundations & Synthesis”.
This PhD position will be situated within the Foundations & Synthesis research line, and it will contribute to the ESDiT research objective on “New approaches for ethical assessment and guidance of SDTs”. A fuller description of the Foundations & Synthesis research line, as well as the programme as a whole, can be found through the ESDiT website: https://www.esdit.nl/
You will be embedded within the Philosophy & Ethics group in the Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences at TU/e. Philosophy & Ethics at TU/e is a vibrant international community, consisting of around 30 members with research interests ranging from philosophy of science and technology to ethics and the philosophy of AI. We have strong cooperation with other departments and the new Eindhoven Artificial Intelligence Systems Institute (EAISI). TU/e is part of the 4TU Ethics consortium (https://ethicsandtechnology.eu/ ), (comprised of TU/e, Delft, Twente, and Wageningen), where we cooperate closely on research and education of students.
The project will be supervised by Elizabeth O’Neill and Philip Nickel.
Please note that there are other vacancies in the Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies programme at different participating universities. In case several are of interest to you, we encourage you to apply to them simultaneously.
Job requirements
We are looking for a PhD candidate who has:
A completed master’s degree in philosophy, preferably in normative ethics, applied ethics, metaethics, ethics of technology, or philosophy of technology.
Excellent speaking and writing skills in English.
An aptitude for independent work.
A background in computer science, especially machine learning, is a plus.
Conditions of employment
A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you:
Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months. You will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale P (min. €2,770 max. €3,539).
A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process.
An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children's day care and sports facilities.
An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates.
ESDiT PhD students are encouraged to spend a semester abroad, for which a budget is available to cover expenses; a generous conference travel budget is also available for the position.
Everyone deserves to feel at home at our university. TU/e as well as the larger ESDiT research program encourage applications from women, scholars with disabilities, scholars from minority backgrounds, and other persons from groups that are currently underrepresented in philosophy.
Information and application
About us
Eindhoven University of Technology is an internationally top-ranking university in the Netherlands that combines scientific curiosity with a hands-on attitude. Our spirit of collaboration translates into an open culture and a top-five position in collaborating with advanced industries. Fundamental knowledge enables us to design solutions for the highly complex problems of today and tomorrow.
Curious to hear more about what it’s like as a PhD candidate at TU/e? Please view the video.
Information
Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more?
Please contact dr. Elizabeth O’Neill, e [dot] r [dot] h [dot] oneill [__at__] tue [dot] nl.
Visit our website for more information about the application process or the conditions of employment. You can also contact HRServices [dot] IEIS [__at__] tue [dot] nl.
Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page.
Application
We invite you to submit a complete application by using the apply button.
The application should include a:
Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position
Curriculum vitae and the contact information of three references
Brief description of your master’s thesis
One-page statement elaborating on your ideas for this project
Writing sample
We look forward to receiving your application and will screen it as soon as possible. The vacancy will remain open until the position is filled.
Desired start date (negotiable): Dec. 1, 2024
The project Averroes Edition is dedicated to the edition and study of the works on Natural Philosophy by the Andalusian philosopher Ibn Rušd (1126–1198) in Arabic, Hebrew, and Latin, as well as related texts and materials. It further promotes the study of the reception of Ibn Rušd’s writings in these three language traditions.
The project is hosted by the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and the Arts for a period of 25 years from 2016 to 2040. The project is carried out at the Thomas-Institut, University of Cologne, under the supervision of Andreas Speer and David Wirmer. The research team comprises three editors, a digital humanist, a post-doctoral position, and a group of student assistants.
We welcome applications for visiting fellowships tenable in Cologne for a period of one to three months between 1 October 2024 and 20 September 2025. There are three fellowships available for this academic year.
We invite both senior scholars and post-docs to apply.
The fellowships amount to EUR 3000 per month, they are not liable to taxation in Germany and do not include health insurance or social benefits.
Fellows will be offered office facilities at the Thomas-Institut, togetherwith the research team, and are expected to work in Cologne most of the time. They will have access to all research resources of the project, including the digital tools developed by the edition project and the specialised library of the institute.
Fellows are expected to do research in an area relevant to the project and to share their experience and insights with the other members of the research team. They are welcome to present their work in the institute’s research colloquium.
Due to the current focus of the Averroes Edition we are particularly interested in applications relating to Aristotle’s Physics, the Arabic commentary tradition on it, and the latter’s reception in Hebrew and Latin.
Applications should be sent in German, French, or English to Corrado la Martire by email (info-averroes [__at__] uni-koeln [dot] de) before September 1st, 2024. Applications should include a complete CV with a list of publications and a research proposal of no more than 500 words. Applicants are asked to state in their research proposal the preferred duration of the fellowship and to propose a starting date.
Centre for Philosophy and AI Research (PAIR), Erlangen, Germany
https://philjobs.org/job/show/26342
https://philjobs.org/job/show/26346
Postdoc Fellowship in Philosophy of Mind
Grant available at the Institute of Philosophy II
Ruhr-University Bochum
Call for applications
***
Thematic Frameworks are preferably the following three topics: “Philosophy of the self: self-consciousness, self-knowledge, self-deception”, “Philosophy of AI or Social Robots” or “A comparative perspective on humans and nonhuman animals”
We offer a fellowship for a postdoc at the Institute of Philosophy II at the Ruhr-University in Bochum in the area of philosophy of mind and cognition in the research group of Prof. Albert Newen. The fellowship will be offered for 24 months. Candidates should be ideally working out a project in one of the three areas: “Philosophy of the self: self-consciousness, self-knowledge, self-deception”, “Philosophy of AI or Social Robots” or “A comparative perspective on humans and nonhuman animals”. Project suggestions are expected (max. 1 page without references).
In principle the call if open for other research topics in the group of Prof. Newen: 1. Theories of Understanding Others; 2 Theories of Emotion; 3. Philosophy of Neurosciences and their Explanations; 4. Theories of Perception and Cognition; 5. Situated Cognition
Requirements: Candidates should have an outstanding PhD in philosophy. Their PhD should have been achieved within the last 4 years before the application date. An additional degree in psychology, cognitive science, linguistics, psychiatry or neurosciences is much appreciated. Some substantial expertise in at least one of these areas will be expected. Furthermore, the candidate must have (at least three) papers published or accepted by peer-reviewed journals.
For this program there are special demands: Applicants are either no German nationals or have lived abroad for at least ten years. Furthermore, they are not allowed to have made a postdoc in Germany (of more than 3 months).
The applicant need not speak German at the time of application, but they should be willing to learn German to be able to engage in everyday conversations. The language for scientific conversation is English. Candidates should be prepared to participate in weekly meetings of the research group of Prof. Newen in Bochum. Thus, the fellowship presupposes regular presence at Ruhr-University Bochum since the project should be worked out in close interaction with the group of Prof. Newen.
Deadline for the application is the 14th of July 2024. The fellowship is available from 1st of November 2024 onwards. The postdoc fellowship is 2.670 Euro (can be higher in special cases, e.g., marriage) per month. The funding is available for a period of two years.
Application documents (we only accept electronic applications): Please send your application to center-mindcognition [__at__] rub [dot] de
Your application should consist of max. three PDF files. The first one is to include your personal documents: an outline of your own planned research project of 1 page max excluding references, CV, copies of certificates and records, complete list of your publications, talks, conferences you attended and courses you held; names of two potential referees (sequence irrelevant). The other PDF file(s) to be attached should be a list of two selected key publications, as well as these selected key publications (must have been published or accepted, if accepted but not published add the letter of acceptance of the journal).
Thematic Frameworks are preferably the following three topics: “Philosophy of the self: self-consciousness, self-knowledge, self-deception”, “Philosophy of AI or Social Robots” or “A comparative perspective on humans and nonhuman animals”
We offer a fellowship for a postdoc at the Institute of Philosophy II at the Ruhr-University in Bochum in the area of philosophy of mind and cognition in the research group of Prof. Albert Newen. The fellowship will be offered for 24 months. Candidates should be ideally working out a project in one of the three areas: “Philosophy of the self: self-consciousness, self-knowledge, self-deception”, “Philosophy of AI or Social Robots” or “A comparative perspective on humans and nonhuman animals”. Project suggestions are expected (max. 1 page without references).
In principle the call if open for other research topics in the group of Prof. Newen: 1. Theories of Understanding Others; 2 Theories of Emotion; 3. Philosophy of Neurosciences and their Explanations; 4. Theories of Perception and Cognition; 5. Situated Cognition
Requirements: Candidates should have an outstanding PhD in philosophy. Their PhD should have been achieved within the last 4 years before the application date. An additional degree in psychology, cognitive science, linguistics, psychiatry or neurosciences is much appreciated. Some substantial expertise in at least one of these areas will be expected. Furthermore, the candidate must have (at least three) papers published or accepted by peer-reviewed journals.
For this program there are special demands: Applicants are either no German nationals or have lived abroad for at least ten years. Furthermore, they are not allowed to have made a postdoc in Germany (of more than 3 months).
The applicant need not speak German at the time of application, but they should be willing to learn German to be able to engage in everyday conversations. The language for scientific conversation is English. Candidates should be prepared to participate in weekly meetings of the research group of Prof. Newen in Bochum. Thus, the fellowship presupposes regular presence at Ruhr-University Bochum since the project should be worked out in close interaction with the group of Prof. Newen.
Deadline for the application is the 14th of July 2024. The fellowship is available from 1st of November 2025 onwards. The postdoc fellowship is 2.670 Euro (can be higher in special cases, e.g., marriage) per month. The funding is available for a period of two years.
Application documents (we only accept electronic applications): Please send your application to center-mindcognition [__at__] rub [dot] de
Your application should consist of max. three PDF files. The first one is to include your personal documents: an outline of your own planned research project of 1 page max excluding references, CV, copies of certificates and records, complete list of your publications, talks, conferences you attended and courses you held; names of two potential referees (sequence irrelevant). The other PDF file(s) to be attached should be a list of two selected key publications, as well as these selected key publications (must have been published or accepted, if accepted but not published add the letter of acceptance of the journal).
The Ethics Institute of Utrecht University’s department of Philosophy and Religious Studies seeks a researcher for a four-year, full-time PhD project “Disrupting ageing: Personhood, meaning, and vulnerability across the lifespan”, as part of the ESDiT – Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies – Research Programme (www.esdit.nl).
About the role
The ageing of societies is one of the 21st century’s most disruptive demographic trends. Simultaneously, age-related technologies challenge the ‘naturalness’ of ageing and draw into focus ambiguities in the concept of ageing itself. Since ageing is a phenomenon infused with normativity, with normative expectations corresponding to phases in the human life cycle, the conceptual cleavage of ageing invites innovation in related moral concepts. This PhD project examines ways in which technologies that bear on ageing disrupt biological, socio-cultural, and normative understandings of ageing. It considers how these disruptions generate fruitful possibilities for reconceptualisation of ageing itself, as well as intertwined normative ideas of personhood, meaning, and vulnerability. In doing so, the project will investigate non-western and non-canonical ideas that might reinvigorate core moral concepts implicated by ageing.
Requirements
- Master’s degree or equivalent degree in Philosophy, Ethics, or Political Philosophy/Theory. Other Master’s degrees will also be considered if you have a demonstrable expertise in analytical/conceptual problems and approaches to normative justification, in close connection with the themes of the research project.
- Interest in moral and political philosophy, applied ethics, and normative issues related to technology;
- Knowledge in a more specialised field relevant to the project (e.g. solidarity, ethics of technology, conceptual disruption, etc.) is welcome.
- Especially welcome are approaches to this project that engage with traditions and perspectives that are currently marginalised within Western philosophy.
Offer
- a position for a period of 18 months - in case of good performance and a positive evaluation, the contract will be extended for the remaining period of 30 months (4 years in total);
- a working week of 38 hours and a gross monthly salary between €2,770 and €3,539 in the case of full-time employment
You have an excellent track record and research skills, relative to experience, and excellent academic writing and presentation skills.
The expected starting date is 1 October 2024.
For more information, please contact Christopher Wareham external link via c [dot] s [dot] wareham [__at__] uu [dot] nl
The Ethics Institute of Utrecht University’s Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies seeks a researcher for a four-year, full-time PhD project “Reconceptualising Solidarity for Technologically Disrupted Contexts”, as part of the ESDiT – Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies – Research Programme (www.esdit.nl).
About the role
This PhD project is an ethical and philosophical study of how technology might (re)shape communal practices and the concepts to describe such practices, notably the concept of solidarity.
Requirements
- a Master’s degree or equivalent degree in Philosophy, Ethics, or Political Philosophy/Theory. Other Master’s degrees will also be considered if you have a demonstrable expertise in analytical/conceptual problems and approaches to normative justification, in close connection with the themes of the research project.
- A broad interest in moral and political philosophy, applied ethics, and normative issues related to technology.
- Knowledge in a more specialised field relevant to the project (e.g. solidarity, ethics of technology, conceptual disruption, etc.) is welcome.
- Especially welcome are approaches to this project that engage with traditions and perspectives that are currently marginalised within Western philosophy.
The Offer
- a position for a period of 18 months - in case of good performance and a positive evaluation, the contract will be extended for the remaining period of 30 months (4 years in total);
- a working week of 38 hours and a gross monthly salary between €2,770 and €3,539 in the case of full-time employment.
The expected starting date is 1 October 2024.
For more information, please contact Juri Viehoff external link at j [dot] viehoff [__at__] uu [dot] nl
The Philosophy section of the University of Twente is looking for a highly motivated and excellent researcher for a 4-year, full-time PhD project on Human Capabilities, Diversity and Technological Disruptions: A New Ethical Approach.
About the role
The research project is part of the ESDiT – Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies – Research Programme (www.esdit.nl), and will be supervised by Dr. Naomi Jacobs and Dr. Janna van Grunsven. The project aims at developing an approach for ethically assessing the disruptive impact of technologies on individuals.
Requirements:
- a Master’s degree or equivalent in Philosophy, (Applied) Ethics, or Science and Technology Studies;
- Affinity and/or experience in ethics or philosophy of technology, experience with empirical research is welcome but not required ;
- An excellent track record and research skills, relative to experience.
The Offer:
- a fulltime 4-year PhD position with a qualifier in the first year;
- Gross monthly salary of € 2.770 in the first year, increasing each year up to € 3.539 in the fourth year;
- Excellent benefits including a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, and a solid pension scheme.
Application deadline: 11 June 2024.
The preferred starting date is 1 October 2024.
Additional information can be acquired via email from dr. Naomi Jacobs (n [dot] jacobs [__at__] utwente [dot] nl).
The University of Twente is looking for a highly motivated and curious PhD candidate to work on the project "Reconceiving Rights, Duties, and Wellbeing amidst technological and ecological challenges."
About the role
Grounded in moral philosophy, the wide-ranging project is part of the ESDiT – Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies – Research Programme (www.esdit.nl), and will be supervised by Dominic Lenzi and James Hutton. It may involve the examination of alternative value systems that emphasise communitarian values, relational conceptions of wellbeing and sustainability, the value of non-human nature, while possibly drawing on both intercultural perspectives and philosophical foundations of scientific approaches on human wellbeing.
Requirements:
- A Master’s degree or equivalent in Philosophy with a specialization in moral philosophy;
- Affinity and/or experience in environmental philosophy, intercultural philosophy, the philosophy of well-being and/or philosophy of technology
- A good team spirit and like to work in an interdisciplinary and internationally oriented environment;
- Able to do independent research and willing to develop writing and publication skills.
The Offer:
- a fulltime 4-year PhD position with a qualifier in the first year;
- Gross monthly salary of € 2.770 in the first year, increasing each year up to € 3.539 in the fourth year;
- Excellent benefits including a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, and a solid pension scheme.
Deadline for applications: 6 June 2024
Preferred starting date: 1 October 2024
Additional information about this position can be acquired from dr. Dominic Lenzi (d [dot] s [dot] lenzi [__at__] utwente [dot] nl).
The Ethics Institute of Utrecht University’s Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies seeks a researcher for a 3-year, full-time postdoctoral project “Mutual Justification and Disruptive Technology”, as part of the inter-university Gravitation consortium Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technology – ESDiT (www.esdit.nl).
About the role
We are looking for a philosopher with expertise in normative ethics, metaethics, or methodologies of applied ethics who is interested in pursuing independent research and other activities related to the following project, based at Utrecht University, as part of the multi-university research consortium, "Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies".
A key part of what makes the emergence of new technologies particularly disruptive is the moral disorientation and uncertainty that they often produce. Socially disruptive technologies can challenge the applicability of established principles to changed circumstances, the foreseeability of future consequences, and even the viability of key ethical concepts, leading to uncertainty, instability, and ambiguity about ethical judgments and intuitions.
Requirements
- You have completed, prior to appointment, a PhD in philosophy, with demonstrated expertise in normative ethics, metaethics, or methodologies of applied ethics.
- You have a record (appropriate to career stage) of publications that demonstrates the ability to conduct research which is internationally recognized as contributing to the field.
- You have an affinity for ethical issues related to technology and have an open-minded research disposition, especially regarding established traditions in applied ethics and ethics of technology.
- You have an active interest in interdisciplinary work which connects philosophical analysis to other relevant disciplines and societal challenges.
- You have the ability to work both independently and collaboratively, with good organisational and communication skills.
- You have a willingness and aptitude for teaching in ethics or a related field of philosophy.
- You are proficient in spoken and written English.
The offer:
- a job for 12 months. After a positive evaluation the contract will be extended for another 24 months (3 years in total);
- a working week of 38 hours and a gross monthly salary between € 4,036 and €4,332 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale 10.5 - 10.7 under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
- 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
- a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.
Interviews will be held in June. Starting date: 1 September 2024.
More information
For more information, please contact Joel Anderson at j [dot] h [dot] anderson [__at__] uu [dot] nl.