Doctoral position in Theoretical Philosophy (EXPIRED)

Doctoral position in Theoretical Philosophy

The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 49 000 students and 6 400 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract scientists and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

The Department of Philosophy, Linguistics and Theory of Science (FLoV) at the Faculty of Humanities has around 100 employees and a teaching volume of about 350 full-year students. It hosts several major international research projects, and educates philosophers, linguists, language technologists, theorists of science, historians of philosophy, philologists and teachers in philosophy on undergraduate, advanced, and graduate levels.

Like most Swedish philosophy Departments, we distinguish between practical and theoretical philosophy, with courses taught separately and given separate degrees. Theoretical philosophy is usually taken to comprise at least the following subjects: epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of language, and philosophy of mind. In Gothenburg, most of these areas are represented in the research we do. To learn more about our subject, its researchers, and our research, please visit our website at here.

Subject area

Theoretical philosophy

Specific subject description

Theoretical Philosophy examines the nature of mind and (external) reality (metaphysics and the philosophy of mind), our knowledge of that reality (epistemology), as well as different ways of representing, and reasoning with, that knowledge in language and thought (philosophy of language and logic). Research within Theoretical Philosophy at the University of Gothenburg covers more or less all of these areas.  For more information about our subject, supervisor-capacity, etc., please visit our webpage here, or contact professor Anna-Sofia Maurin (contact details, below). Please note that the research done at this Department is in analytical philosophy, sometimes with a strong emphasis on historical perspectives.

Job assignments

The successful candidate’s main responsibilities will be to write a doctoral dissertation, and to complete obligatory course work. He or she may also undertake a limited amount of teaching, administration, or research not directly connected to her or his dissertation topic. Such duties extend the position accordingly.

The successful candidate is expected to spend his or her time primarily in Gothenburg and to regularly participate in departmental activities, especially the weekly research seminar in theoretical philosophy.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the position, the applicant must meet both general and specific entry requirements. The general entry requirements for third-cycle (doctoral) programs are:

1. a second-cycle (advanced level) qualification/degree, or
2. at least 240 higher education (HE) credits for courses of which at least 60 HE credits are awarded in the second-cycle, or
3. equivalent training either in Sweden or abroad.

Admission to the third-cycle program in Theoretical Philosophy also requires:

1. 30 higher education credits in Theoretical Philosophy as a second-cycle subject, at least 15 of which must be from a degree project or equivalent knowledge, 
2. the type(s) of language skills (Swedish or English) needed to be able to benefit from compulsory parts of the course and to be able to actively participate in seminars and similar activities.

For further information about the general and specific requirements please refer to the study syllabus at our Staff Portal.

Assessment

General rules for doctoral positions are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance 1998: 80.

In selecting between applicants, their ability to benefit from the course- and study program shall be taken into account in accordance with Chapter 7 of the Higher Education Ordinance. To facilitate the selection process, the applicant must submit: 

• A Master’s dissertation in Theoretical Philosophy worth a minimum of 15 higher education credits, or some other project at the equivalent level and scope that documents the corresponding skills and abilities. 
• A Bachelor’s thesis and/or advanced study project in Theoretical Philosophy written at advanced or second-cycle level; or other projects at the equivalent level and scope that document the corresponding skills and abilities. 
• Official transcripts for studies in theoretical philosophy or the equivalent at first, advanced and second-cycle level. 
• A project draft of a maximum 3,000 words in which the applicant states the research area in which the applicant wishes to work; what the applicant´s work in this area can be expected to contribute to the research front; why the planned research project is suitable for the intended department; which theories, methods and materials are likely to be used and how work with the project can be structured. 
• References and/or letter of recommendation. 

The written projects (including the project draft) that are included with the application are evaluated based on the following quality criteria:

• Suitable subject demarcation, relevant research question(s). 
• Suitable command of the subject and structuring of the thesis. 
• Suitable use of language, formalities. 
• Academic quality. 
• Independence.

In addition to the above, the project draft is also evaluated based on: 

• Feasibility within the scope of a doctoral studentship. 
• Possibility for the Department to offer a supervisor with suitable knowledge within the research area of the application. 

Admission and selection are also conditional on the Department’s supervisory resources. Admission may also include an interview in addition to a review of qualifications submitted. The final decision is made by the head of department.

Employment

Type of employment: Fixed-term employment, Higher Education Ordinance Ch. 7§, cf. also SFS 1998: 80.

Extent: 100 %

Location: Department of Philosophy, Linguistics and Theory of Science, Gothenburg

First day of employment: 2021-01-01

Apart from his or her own third-cycle education, the successful applicant may also be expected to do service in education, research (unrelated to the thesis) and administration. The employment is for one year. It can be extended with a maximum of two years at a time. The total employment cannot exceed four years of third-cycle education, full time.

The university follows a local agreement about wage level for doctoral students.

Employment Procedure

Selection, interviews and assessment is made by a recruitment group at the department. A list of top-ranked applicants is then presented based on the information provided by the applicants (based on merit, quality of submitted works, quality of research proposal, and availability of qualified supervisors). The top-ranked candidates may be invited to interviews (via Zoom).

For further information, please contact:

For questions about our third-cycle studies please contact Lena Eriksson, associate head of department at +46-31-7864184 or at [email protected]. 

For questions about theoretical philosophy in Gothenburg please contact Anna-Sofia Maurin, professor of theoretical philosophy at [email protected].

For questions about the employment procedure, contact personnel administrator Jennifer Stråle at +46-31-7864570 or at [email protected]. 

Unions

For information about the union representatives at the University of Gothenburg go here.  

The Application

In order to apply for a doctoral position at the University of Gothenburg, you have to register an account in our online recruitment system. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline. The selection of candidates is made on the basis of the qualifications registered in the application. Complementary documents, such as publications/books, that cannot be submitted electronically, should be sent in two copies to the following address and marked with reference number. University of Gothenburg, Att: HR Administrator, FLoV, Box 200, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.

For the application to be considered complete it must include:

1. An introductory letter of 1.000 words maximum (approx. 2 pages), preferably shorter. The letter should consist of four paragraphs in the following order: a) a short presentation of yourself, b) a short presentation of your merits, c) a short presentation of the intended research project and d) a short account for why the Department of Philosophy, Linguistics and Theory of Science is of interest to you.
2. A CV, including a list of publications (if applicable).
3. Two theses. Normally, this would be a master’s thesis and a bachelor’s thesis, but it could also be a revised version of a thesis, or another paper, article or book chapter for example, or equivalent work. The texts must be submitted in Swedish or English. Any translated versions must be accompanied by the original text.
4. A description of the intended research project of at most 3000 words (excluding bibliography), indicating the applicant’s research interests and planned focus area of his/her thesis and research.
5. Verified copies of academic transcripts and possibly evidence of other relevant qualifications, if applicable.
6. Name and contact information for two academic references. References will be contacted and asked to submit reference letters if the candidate is shortlisted.

Closing date 2020-10-29

 The University of Gothenburg promotes equal opportunities, equality and diversity.

 Applications will be destroyed or returned (upon request) two years after the decision of employment has become final. 

In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.