Assistant, Associate or Full Professor in Ethics (EXPIRED)

The Faculty of Liberal Arts, Sophia University, invites applications for an open-rank position in philosophy with a specialization in Ethics (Assistant Professor is a five-year tenure-track appointment, while appointments of Associate Professor and Professor are tenured). 

We seek candidates who are qualified to teach courses in western philosophical and intellectual traditions, and welcome applicants working from a comparative or multi-cultural perspective. Our faculty is committed to promoting gender balance and we have a strong preference to hire a female candidate.

The successful applicant will teach courses that contribute to the curriculum of the Religion and Philosophy field (RPH) in the undergraduate Comparative Culture Area, as well as in the Graduate Program in Global Studies. RPH courses approach religion and philosophy nontheologically, as part of a broader liberal arts curriculum. The ideal candidate should be able to teach an introductory course in philosophy as well as courses that provide undergraduates with a grounding in western intellectual history, and that engage topics in practical ethics that are of interest to our students, for instance: bioethics, business ethics, end-of-life issues/thanatology, environmental ethics, feminist ethics, happiness, justice (civil or social), or political philosophy. The successful candidate should also be prepared to teach a required undergraduate course in critical thinking. For the Graduate Program in Global Studies, the candidate should be prepared to teach a course in philosophy with an emphasis on its relevance to the Japanese context, broadly conceived.  

The successful candidate is expected to have research accomplishments and a Ph.D. in the discipline of philosophy, or in allied fields in the humanities, at the time the job offer is made. Teaching experience is preferred. The language of instruction is English. Knowledge of Japanese is helpful but not required. The normal teaching load is four courses the first year, and five courses the next year, on a two-year rotation. Classes meet twice a week for one hundred minutes each. The appointment will be effective as early as September 2022, pending pandemic border enforcement measures. Applicant must fulfill educational, research, and administrative duties in the operation of the department and faculty and participate in admissions duties in the Faculty of Liberal Arts. Applicant must also carry out administrative duties required by Sophia University.

Sophia University, located in central Tokyo, was founded in 1913 by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and is one of Japan’s leading private universities. The Faculty of Liberal Arts offers a comprehensive program in humanities, international business and economics, and social studies. In addition to our degree students, we annually welcome about 200 exchange students from leading universities overseas.  

Applications should include a cover letter (outlining academic background and research interests, teaching experience and an explanation of your interest in being at Sophia University); a detailed curriculum vitae; a writing sample; the names and addresses of three referees; and a syllabus for an introductory-level course in philosophy (“Introduction to Philosophy”). Shortlisted applicants will be asked to submit other publications and syllabi for other courses the applicant would anticipate teaching. 

Applications should be postmarked no later than October 15, and addressed to:  

Professor Angela Yiu, Dean 

Faculty of Liberal Arts 

Sophia University 

7-1 Kioi-cho, Chiyoda-ku 

Tokyo 102-8554, JAPAN  

For further information please contact: 

The FLA Dean Angela Yiu ([email protected])  

Faculty of Liberal Arts: http:/www.fla.sophia.ac.jp/ 

Graduate Program in Global Studies: http://gpgs.fla.sophia.ac.jp/