Doctoral Position In Theoretical Philosophy, One Or Several

The University of Gothenburg tackles society's challenges with diverse knowledge. 56 000 students and 6 600 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract researchers 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, 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.

Specific subject description

Theoretical philosophy

Theoretical Philosophy examines the nature of mind and (external) reality, our scientific and everyday knowledge of that reality, as well as different ways of representing, and reasoning with, that knowledge in language and thought. Research within Theoretical Philosophy at the University of Gothenburg covers more or less all of these areas. For more information about our subject, supervisor-capacities, 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.

Duties

Education at third-cycle level comprises four years of full-time study, and leads to a doctoral degree.

The successful candidate's main responsibilities will be to write a doctoral dissertation, and to complete obligatory courses. As part of your employment as a doctoral student, you may have departmental duties corresponding to up to 20 % of full-time employment, distributed throughout your study period. Departmental duties usually consist of teaching at first- and second-cycle levels, but may also include research and administration. Such duties extend the position accordingly.

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

General information about being a doctoral student at the University of Gothenburg can be found here, on the university's doctoral student pages.

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:

a second-cycle (advanced level) qualification/degree, or

at least 240 higher education (HE) credits for courses of which at least 60 HE credits are awarded in the second-cycle, or

equivalent training either in Sweden or abroad.

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

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,

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 criteria

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:

An introductory letter of 1 000 words maximum.

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 or an advanced study project in Theoretical Philosophy written at advanced or second-cycle level or equivalent documenting 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.

Contact information to two references.

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

Academic quality

Suitable use of language, formalities

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 a zoom-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 5th Ch. 7§, cf., 4 years.

Extent: 100 %

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

First day of employment: 2024-01-01

Once you have been admitted for education at third-cycle level, you will be employed as a doctoral student at the University of Gothenburg. The employment is Fixed-term, and normally lasts the equivalent of four years full-time third-cycle education. Initial employment as a doctoral student may apply for a maximum of one year, and may be renewed by a maximum of two years at a time. A doctoral student may be employed as a doctoral student for a maximum of eight years, but the total period of employment may not be longer than the equivalent of full-time education at third-cycle level for four years. 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. These types of services are grounds for prolongation over four years. The provisions for employment as a doctoral student can be found in ordinance SFS 1993:100.

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

Selection process

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).

Contact information

For questions about our third-cycle studies please contact Johan Söderberg, at +46 (0)31-786 36 52 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 HR Officer Cecilia Groglopo at +46 (0)31-786 45 70 or at [email protected]

Unions

Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg can be found here: https: // www. gu.se/om-universitetet/jobba-hos-oss/hjalp-for-sokande

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:

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.

A CV, including a list of publications (if applicable).

Two texts. 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 written either in Swedish or in English or if they are not, the text must be accompanied by a translation. Any translated versions must be accompanied by the original text.

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.

Verified copies of academic transcripts and possibly evidence of other relevant qualifications, if applicable.

Name and contact information for two academic references. References will be contacted and asked to submit reference letters if the candidate is shortlisted.

Applications must be received by: 2023-10-13

Information for International Applicants

Choosing a career in a foreign country is a big step. Thus, to give you a general idea of what we and Gothenburg have to offer in terms of benefits and life in general for you and your family/spouse/partner please visit:

https: // www. gu.se/en/about-the-university/welcome-services https: // www. movetogothenburg.com/

The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations.

Salaries are set individually at the University.

In accordance with the National Archives of Sweden's regulations, the University must archive application documents for two years after the appointment is filled. If you request that your documents are returned, they will be returned to you once the two years have passed. Otherwise, they will be destroyed.

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.