Funded PhD in philosophy

Funded PhD Position in Philosophy: Population Ethics and Nonhumans

Institution: Lingnan University, Department of Philosophy

Location: Hong Kong

Supervisor: Dr. Gary O’Brien

Start date: January 2026 (later starting date may be possible)

Duration: 3 years

Application deadline: 6th of October 2025 for full consideration

Project Overview

Applications are invited for a funded PhD position in philosophy at Lingnan University, under the supervision of Dr. Gary O’Brien. The student will contribute to the GRF-funded project “Population Ethics and Nonhumans”, which investigates the ethical and axiological issues arising when our actions affect which nonhuman beings exist, in what numbers, and with what kinds of welfare. This includes wild and domesticated animals, and potentially future sentient digital beings.

The project sits at the intersection of population ethics, animal ethics, environmental ethics, and AI ethics. It challenges conventional population axiologies (e.g., Totalism, Averagism, Critical Level views) for their inability to accommodate the value of biodiversity and the distinctive moral concerns raised by the creation of nonhumans. For more information on the project see www.garyobrienphilosophy.com/research

The PhD candidate will develop their own research within this domain. This might involve:

- exploring how standard theories in population ethics fail when applied to animals or digital beings

- developing new axiological frameworks that can better accommodate nonhumans

- addressing the ethics of creating beings with lower welfare or engineered preferences

- analyzing the implications of biodiversity loss, animal population engineering, or artificial sentience from a population-ethical perspective

-exploring the ethical issues surrounding wild animal welfare

-other issues related to the creation of animals e.g. animal farming/breeding, genetic modification of animals, ‘de-extinction’, introducing animals to new habitats etc. 

There is significant scope for the candidate to define their own focus within this framework.

Eligibility

Applicants must have:
- a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Philosophy or a closely related field by the start date (for exceptional candidates a BA and evidence of research ability may be sufficient)
- demonstrable interest or background in at least one of the project’s thematic areas (e.g., population ethics, animal/environmental ethics, AI ethics)
- strong analytical skills and excellent written English
- experience or interest in analytic moral philosophy, ideally including population ethics and animal ethics

Supervision and Environment

Dr. Gary O’Brien is a Research Assistant Professor at Lingnan and a Research Fellow at the Hong Kong Catastrophic Risk Centre. His work has appeared in Utilitas, Journal of Moral Philosophy, Journal of Ethics, and Journal of Applied Philosophy, among others. He specializes in applied ethics, animal ethics, and population ethics.

The Department of Philosophy at Lingnan University is a leading center for analytic philosophy in East Asia, with active research strengths in ethics, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, and political philosophy.

Funding Details

- Monthly stipend of HKD $19,280 before confirmation of candidature, rising to HKD $19,660 after confirmation of candidature

- Additional funding for travel and conference participation may be available

- Possibility of paid teaching or research assistantship after the first year

Application Instructions

Please submit the following materials to [email protected]

1. Cover letter explaining your motivation and research interests (max 1 page)
2. Research proposal (max 1,500 words) 
3. CV, including academic background and any publications
4. One writing sample (max 5000 words)
5. Academic transcripts
6. Two references

7. A TOEFL/IELTS test report (for applicants whose degree is not from a tertiary institution where English is used as the medium of instruction)

Informal Inquiries

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Dr. Gary O’Brien at [email protected]

Equal Opportunity Statement

Lingnan University is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion, and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of background.