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PhD in Ethics

Faculty of Humanities

Department:
Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies

Hours per week:
36 to 40

Application deadline:
7 June 2024
The Ethics Institute of Utrecht University’s department of Philosophy and Religious Studies seeks a researcher for a four-year, full-time PhD project “

Disrupting ageing
: Personhood, meaning, and vulnerability across the lifespan
”, as part of the inter-university Gravitation consortium
.

Your job

The ageing of societies is one of the 21st century’s most disruptive demographic trends. Simultaneously, age-related technologies challenge the ‘naturalness’ of ageing and draw into focus ambiguities in the concept of ageing itself. For instance, technologically-mediated relationships, life extension, and technologies such as AI avatars may make

biological
and
chronological
age less relevant, and shift the emphasis to
socio-cultural
conceptions of age. Such shifts have normative significance particularly if ageing is envisaged as a process that occurs throughout the lifespan.
Since ageing is a phenomenon infused with normativity, with normative expectations corresponding to phases in the human life cycle, the conceptual cleavage of ageing invites innovation in related moral concepts. This PhD project examines ways in which technologies that bear on ageing disrupt biological, socio-cultural, and normative understandings of ageing. It considers how these disruptions generate fruitful possibilities for reconceptualisation of ageing itself, as well as intertwined normative ideas of personhood, meaning, and vulnerability. In doing so, the project will investigate non-western and non-canonical ideas that might reinvigorate core moral concepts implicated by ageing.

This PhD position is part of the
Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies
programme, a ten year long international research programme of seven academic institutions in the Netherlands that started in January 2020. The programme aims to achieve breakthrough research at the intersection of ethics, philosophy, technology / engineering and social sciences, and to position its consortium at the top of its field internationally. A key objective is to investigate how new technologies challenge moral values and ontological concepts (like “nature”, “human being” and “community”), and how these challenges necessitate a revision of these concepts. The programme includes four research lines, “Nature, life and human intervention”, “The future of a free and fair society”, “The Human Condition” and “Synthesis: Ethics of Technology, Practical Philosophy, and Modern Technology-Driven Societies”.

This position is situated within the research line “The Human Condition” and within a working group on conceptual disruption and technology. You will work under the supervision of

(UU),
(UU), and Naomi Jacobs (UT). You are expected to play an active role in the project described above and to participate actively in the workshops, public events, courses and other activities of the Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies programme in general and the “The Human Condition” research line and conceptual disruption working group in particular. The position is based at

, which is part of the department of Philosophy and Religious Studies. It provides a stimulating and internationally oriented research environment.
Please note that there are
at different participating universities. In case several are of interest to you, we would like to encourage you to apply to them simultaneously.

Your qualities

• You will have completed, prior to appointment, a Master’s degree or equivalent degree in Philosophy, Ethics, or Political Philosophy/Theory. Other Master’s degrees will also be considered if you have a demonstrable expertise in analytical/conceptual problems and approaches to normative justification, in close connection with the themes of the research project.
• You have an interest in moral and political philosophy, applied ethics, and normative issues related to technology.
• Knowledge in a more specialised field relevant to the project (e.g. solidarity, ethics of technology, conceptual disruption, etc.) is welcome.
• Especially welcome are approaches to this project that engage with traditions and perspectives that are currently marginalised within Western philosophy.
• You have an excellent track record and research skills, relative to experience, and excellent academic writing and presentation skills.
• You have the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• You have an active interest in interdisciplinary work which connects philosophical analysis to other relevant disciplines and societal challenges.
• You have a high level of proficiency in English.

Our offer

We offer:

• a position for a period of 18 months - in case of good performance and a positive evaluation, the contract will be extended for the remaining period of 30 months (4 years in total);
• a working week of 38 hours and a gross monthly salary between €2,770 and €3,539 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

PhD candidates are encouraged to spend a semester abroad. A budget is available to cover expenses. Additionally, a generous (conference) travel budget is available for this position.

In addition to the
laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University has a number of schemes and facilities of its own for employees. This includes schemes facilitating
, leave schemes and schemes for
, as well as discounts on software and other IT products. We also offer access to additional employee benefits through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage our employees to continue to invest in their growth. For more information, please visit

.

About us

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At
, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major
. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability.
.
The
has around 7,000 students and 1,100 staff members. It comprises four knowledge domains: Philosophy and Religious Studies, History and Art History, Media and Culture Studies, and Languages, Literature and Communication. With its research and education in these fields, the Faculty aims to contribute to a better understanding of the Netherlands and Europe in a rapidly changing social and cultural context. The enthusiastic and committed colleagues and the excellent amenities in the historical city centre of Utrecht,

, contribute to an inspiring working environment.

More information

For more information, please contact
via
.
Candidates for this vacancy will be recruited by Utrecht University.

Apply now

As Utrecht University, we want to be a
for everyone. We value staff with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and identities, including cultural, religious or ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. We strive to create a safe and inclusive environment in which everyone can flourish and contribute.

Your application should include:

• a one-page letter of motivation, discussing what interests you about this position, how your background prepares you to carry out your proposed research plan, and any information about your circumstances relevant to assessing your suitability for the position;
• a curriculum vitae of maximum 3 pages;
• a one-page research note, setting out your ideas about how you propose to carry out the project described above;
• a writing sample of maximum 20 pages (e.g. a chapter of a master’s thesis);
• academic grade transcripts from all relevant degree programmes.

To apply, please send these materials via the 'apply now' button. Please submit items 2, 3, and 4 (in that order) as a SINGLE PDF in the field “CV including a publication list”. Letters of recommendation do not need to be submitted at this time.

Interviews will be held in the week of 1 July 2024. The starting date is 1 October 2024.
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