Research Fellow (EXPIRED)
School of Philosophical, Anthropological and Film Studies, University of St. Andrews
Job category | Postdoc or similar / Fixed term |
AOS | The Logic and Rationality of Imagination; What if…? Knowing by imagining (WIKI) |
AOC | Open |
Workload | Full time |
Vacancies | 1 |
Organization's reference number | AR2930ML |
Location | St Andrews, United Kingdom |
Start date | 1st January 2025. |
Job description |
£37,099 - £40,251 per annum Applications are sought for a Research Fellow (postdoc) to work with Principal Investigator (PI) Prof. Franz Berto, conducting research at the Arché Research Centre at the Department of Philosophy. The postdoc will work in a 4-year project funded by the Leverhulme Trust, starting on 1st January 2025, and entitled ‘What if…? Knowing by imagining (WIKI). The Logic and Rationality of Imagination’. This will be a four-year, full time research job. Here follows a short description of the WIKI project: ‘What if?'-counterfactual questions are of momentous importance for scientific explanations (‘Would we see that particle track if the atom was ionized?’), to ascertain responsibilities (‘Would he have hit the brakes, had he not been distracted?’), to choose what to do (‘Would I get to the other side if I jumped the stream?’). We address them by imagining that a hypothetical situation obtains and wondering what would follow. But how can imagination give us knowledge of reality, if it's free departure from reality? WIKI will apply in the philosophy of imagination tools from formal epistemology, in particular epistemic and probabilistic logic, to address this issue. If we start by taking counterfactual imagination as a kind of simulated belief revision, we can then analyze it using formal theories of belief revision, in qualitative (focusing on full, all-or-nothing belief) and quantitative clothing (focusing on credences/degrees of belief). In three interrelated subprojects, WIKI will (1) develop a logic and formal epistemology of imagination as suppositional thinking, (2) apply them to analyse the workings of scientific thought experiments, and (3) compare them to empirical results from the psychology of reasoning, to provide an account of how we can become better hypothetical reasoners. The post is available for 48 months starting on 1st January 2025. Employees of the University have access to a wide range of staff benefits including:
For further details on the project and inquiries, contact the PI Franz Berto ( [email protected] ). Applications are particularly welcome from women, people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented in research posts at the University. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of the St Andrews experience. We strive to create a fair and inclusive culture demonstrated through our commitment to diversity awards (Athena Swan, Carer Positive, LGBT Charter and Race Charters). We celebrate diversity by promoting profiles of BAME, LGBTIQ+ staff and supporting networks including the Staff BAME Network; Staff with Disabilities Network; Staff LGBTIQ+ Network; and the Staff Parents & Carers Network. Full details available online: https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/hr/edi/ Closing Date: 30 April 2024. Job Talk and Interview Dates [online/links to be provided]: June 10 and June 11, 2024. Please quote ref: AR2930ML The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland (No SC013532). |
How to apply | |
Application type | Online |
Web address to apply | https://www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk/Vacancies/W... |
Email to apply | |
Hard deadline | April 30, 2024, 11:59pm BST |
Contact | |
Web address for more information | https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/ |
Bookkeeping | |
Time created | January 22, 2024, 8:14pm UTC |
Scheduled expiry date | April 30, 2024, 11:59pm BST |
Expired on | May 2, 2024, 12:46am BST |
Last updated | July 1, 2024, 3:00pm UTC |
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