Logic List Mailing Archive

Postdoctoral position in social epistemology of argumentation, Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Deadline: 1 Jun 2022

Postdoc position in political argumentation
Location: AMSTERDAM
FTE: 0.8 - 1
https://werkenbij.vu.nl/ad/postdoc-position-in-political-argumentation/hnwuo9

Job description

The ERC-funded project ‘The Social Epistemology of Argumentation’ (SEA) 
has now been running for almost four years under the leadership of Prof. 
Catarina Dutilh Novaes. The team has been investigating the conditions 
under which argumentative processes lead to fruitful epistemic outcomes in 
terms of the circulation and co-production of knowledge, evidence, 
objections etc. While we adopt a social epistemological perspective, we 
are equally interested in the role of power dynamics and patterns of 
inclusion and exclusion in these processes.

For the final years of the project, we are now looking for a post-doc 
whose research focuses on political argumentation, for a two-year 
position. Some of the topics we are interested in include (but are not 
limited to):

– Deliberative democracy, communicative democracy, discourse ethics

– Public reason (in the Rawlsian tradition as well as critics thereof)

– Political philosophy of science, expertise in democracy, epistemology 
and ethics of expert–non-expert argumentation

– Ignorance studies and the philosophy of ignorance, 'hostile' 
epistemologies, epistemic injustice and oppression

This research position will be combined with teaching (65% research, 35% 
teaching). Specifically, the post-doc will teach a first-year BA course on 
philosophical arguments (together with Prof. Dutilh Novaes), an elective 
BA course on topics of their choosing at the intersection between science, 
politics and society, and will supervise BA theses at the PPE program. (At 
the VU, teaching periods run for 8 weeks only, so these are short 
courses.)

The position is available from September 1, 2022, or as soon as possible 
thereafter.

Your duties

     conduct research on the project’s topic, resulting in relevant 
publications
     participate in the activities of the project (and related national and 
international events)
     teach three courses, as described above


Requirements
Candidates must:

     possess a PhD or an approved PhD manuscript in Philosophy or an 
outstanding PhD thesis in a closely related field

     have strong academic record and affinity with one or more of these 
three areas: argumentation studies, social epistemology, political 
philosophy, political theory

     be motivated and able to work in an interdisciplinary team

     excellent command of spoken and written English as well as strong 
academic writing skills


What are we offering?

A challenging position in a socially involved organization. On full-time 
basis the remuneration amounts to a minimum gross monthly salary of € 
2.846 (scale 10) and a maximum € 4,474 (scale 10), depending on your 
education and experience. The job profile is based on the university job 
ranking system and is vacant for 0.8 FTE or 1.0 FTE; candidates who opt 
for a 0.8 FTE (80%) appointment will have a corresponding reduction in 
their teaching load (65% research remains fixed). The appointment will 
initially be for 1 year. After a satisfactory evaluation of the initial 
appointment, the contract will be extended for one more year.

Additionally, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers excellent fringe 
benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life 
balance, such as:

     a maximum of 41 days of annual leave based on full-time employment
     8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
     solid pension scheme (ABP)
     contribution to commuting expenses


About Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

The ambition of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is clear: to contribute to a 
better world through outstanding education and ground-breaking research. 
We strive to be a university where personal development and commitment to 
society play a leading role. A university where people from different 
disciplines and backgrounds collaborate to achieve innovations and to 
generate new knowledge. Our teaching and research encompass the entire 
spectrum of academic endeavor – from the humanities, the social sciences 
and the natural sciences through to the life sciences and the medical 
sciences.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 30,000 students. We 
employ over 5,500 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible and 
located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas district, a truly inspiring 
environment for teaching and research.

Diversity

We are an inclusive university community. Diversity is one of our most 
important values. We believe that engaging in international activities and 
welcoming students and staff from a wide variety of backgrounds enhances 
the quality of our education and research. We are always looking for 
people who can enrich our world with their own unique perspectives and 
experiences.

Faculty of Humanities

The Faculty of Humanities links a number of fields of study: Language, 
Literature and Communication, Art & Culture, History, Antiquities and 
Philosophy. Our teaching and research focus on current societal and 
scientific themes: from artificial intelligence to visual culture, from 
urbanization to the history of slavery, from ‘fake news’ in journalism to 
communication in organizations. We strive to ensure small group sizes. 
Innovative education and interdisciplinary research are our hallmarks.

Working at the Faculty of Humanities means making a real contribution to 
the quality of leading education and research in an inspiring and personal 
work and study climate. We employ more than 350 staff members, and we are 
home to around 2,000 students.

Application

Are you interested in this position? To prepare your application, please 
first send an email to Prof. Dutilh Novaes (c.dutilhnovaes@vu.nl) to 
receive a more detailed description of the SEA project. You will then 
submit the following materials (all in English) via the online system:

     a letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for 
the SEA project

     a brief description (circa 1.000 words) of what exactly you aim to 
investigate in the context of the SEA project, and how you intend to carry 
out the research

     a curriculum vitae

     a writing sample, chosen on the basis of philosophical quality and 
relevance to the topic of the project (max. 10.000 words)

Please apply via the application button and upload your documents until 
June 1, 2022.

Applications received by e-mail will not be processed.
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