The news section of the German Society for Philosophy of Science (GWP)

CfR: Workshop: Gegenstand und Methoden der empirischen Ästhetik, ZfW, University of Muenster

Submitted by Nicolas Kleinschmidt, University of Muenster.

Workshop: Gegenstand und Methoden der empirischen Ästhetik

Organisation: Dr. Martin Hoffmann & Nicolas Kleinschmidt, B.A.

Eine Veranstaltung des Philosophischen Seminars und des Zentrums für Wissenschaftstheorie der Westfälischen Wilhelms-Universität Münster

Termin: 24./25. Juni 2016

Ort: Freiherr-vom-Stein-Haus der Bezirksregierung Münster, Saal 1, Domplatz 1-3,48143 Münster

Anmeldung: Die Teilnahme ist kostenlos. Wir bitten um Anmeldung bis zum 15. Juni 2016 bei Claudia Güstrau (claudia.guestrau@wwu.de, Tel.: 0251 8324472)

Links: https://www.wwu.de/Wissenschaftstheorie/index.html, https://www.uni-muenster.de/PhilSem/

CfA: Junior Professur für Philosophie der Physik, Bergische Universität Wuppertal

Submitted by Gregor Schiemann, University of Wuppertal.

Im Interdisziplinären Zentrum für Wissenschafts- und Technikgeschichte (IZWT) der Bergischen Universität Wuppertal

ist zum nächstmöglichen Zeitpunkt

eine Juniorprofessur für Philosophie
mit einem Schwerpunkt in der Philosophie der Physik

zu besetzen.

Bes.-Gruppe: W 1 ÜBesG NRW (gem. § 36 HG NRW)

Die Einrichtung der Juniorprofessur dient der Stärkung der kürzlich bewilligten interdisziplinären DFG-Forschergruppe „The Epistemology of the Large Hadron Collider“ (siehe http://www.lhc-epistemologie.uni-wuppertal.de). Der Arbeitsbereich der Juniorprofessur soll im Zusammenhang mit philosophischen Problemen der physikalischen Forschung am Large Hadron Collider (LHC) liegen und sich damit in den Rahmen der Forschergruppe eingliedern. Dazu gehört die Zusammenarbeit mit an der Forschergruppe beteiligten PhysikerInnen sowie die Forschung in einem internationalen Rahmen. Eine Einwerbung von Drittmitteln ist erwünscht.
In der Lehre soll sich die Professur im Rahmen der Bachelor und Master Studiengänge der Philosophie vor allem im Bereich der wissenschaftstheoretischen Grundlagen der Naturwissenschaften beteiligen. Eine konstruktive Mitarbeit bei der Weiterentwicklung der relevanten Studiengänge sowie die Mitwirkung in der akademischen Selbstverwaltung werden erwartet.
Die Bergische Universität betrachtet die Gleichstellung von Frauen und Männern als eine wichtige Aufgabe, an deren Umsetzung die zukünftige Stelleninhaberin/ der zukünftige Stelleninhaber mitwirkt.
Kennziffer: P16002

Einstellungsvoraussetzungen
Ein abgeschlossenes Hochschulstudium, die pädagogische Eignung sowie die besondere Befähigung zu wissenschaftlicher Arbeit, die in der Regel durch die Qualifikation einer Promotion nachgewiesen wird. Die für das Fachgebiet Philosophie, herausragende einschlägige Promotion, sollte möglichst nicht länger als 5 Jahre zurückliegen. Weitere signifikante Publikationsleistungen in hochwertigen Fachorganen sind erforderlich. Eine zusätzliche Ausbildung in der Physik und Kenntnisse der Elementarteilchenphysik sind von Vorteil. Die Bereitschaft und Fähigkeit interdisziplinär mit den Mitgliedern der Forschergruppe zusammen zu arbeiten ist Voraussetzung einer erfolgreichen Kandidatur. Die Bewerberin/Der Bewerber sollte mindestens zwei Jahre außerhalb der Bergischen Universität Wuppertal wissenschaftlich gearbeitet haben.
Juniorprofessorinnen und Juniorprofessoren werden für die Dauer von drei Jahren zu Beamtinnen oder Beamten auf Zeit ernannt. Das Beamtenverhältnis der Juniorprofessorin oder des Juniorprofessors kann im Laufe des dritten Jahres um weitere drei Jahre verlängert werden, wenn sie oder er sich als Hochschullehrerin oder Hochschullehrer bewährt hat.
Bewerbungen sind mit Lebenslauf, Zeugniskopien, Schriftenverzeichnis und ggf. Verzeichnis der bisherigen Lehrveranstaltungen und den Namen von drei Gutachtern unter Angabe der Kennziffer zu richten an Herrn Univ.-Prof. Dr. Gregor Schiemann, Fakultät für Geistes- und Kulturwissenschaften, Gaußstraße 20, 42119 Wuppertal oder auf elektronischem Weg an:
lhc.epistemology@uni-wuppertal.de
Frauen werden bei gleicher Eignung, Befähigung und fachlicher Leistung bevorzugt berücksichtigt, sofern sie in der Organisationseinheit unterrepräsentiert sind und sofern nicht in der Person eines Mitbewerbers liegende Gründe überwiegen. Die Rechte der Schwerbehinderten, bei gleicher Eignung bevorzugt berücksichtigt zu werden, bleiben unberührt.
Bewerbungsfrist: 20.05.2016

CfA (extended): Human Nature and the Question of Human Individuality, July 25-29, 2016, Siggen, Germany

Submitted by Thomas Reydon, University of Hannover.

Call for Applications (extended): Human Nature and the Question of Human Individuality
(Second Interdisciplinary Summer School on Individuality in the Life Sciences)

25-29 July 2016, Gut Siggen (East Holstein, north of Lübeck, Germany;
see http://toepfer-stiftung.de/seminarzentrum-gut-siggen/)

The concept of human nature and the question of how it relates to human individuality is among the most controversial topics in the life and social sciences. ‘Human nature’, as traditionally conceived, presumes an essence of ‘being human’ that can be interpreted as at conflict with claims about individuality and heterogeneity. Furthermore, it illustrates the complex intermingling of society and science, of norms and natures, and of values and facts. For instance, societal assumptions about what is normal contribute to the practice of making generalizations about what is human, which then becomes its own epistemic practice. Yet, all sciences that deal with humans necessitate generalizations to a certain extent. Debates surrounding these issues tend to parallel discussions about race, but there are important differences too. What does the history and sociology of claims about ‘human nature’ look like, especially in contrast with the idea of individuality? How have related concepts and points of comparison changed in post-essentialist times? Do we need to eliminate all talk about human nature, as already suggested for the concept of human race, because it disregards individuality and leads to the exclusion of people conceived of as ‘less human’?

This is the second of two international and interdisciplinary summer schools on individuality organized by the Philosophy of the Life Sciences in Germany network and funded by the Volkswagen Foundation. The first summer school took place in July 2015 and explored questions about biological individuality in general. This second summer school will focus on the concept of human nature and on human individuality. Both summer schools aim to bring together different perspectives in the life sciences from philosophy, history, and social studies.

Lecturers:
Torsten Heinemann (Hamburg)
Edouard Machery (Pittsburgh)
Erika Milam (Princeton)
Henrike Moll (Southern California)

Organizers, instructors & chairs:
Marie I. Kaiser (Cologne), Maria Kronfeldner (Budapest), Thomas Reydon (Hannover), Georg Toepfer (Berlin)

Program:
Day 1: Arrival – introductory presentations by the organizers – build groups and establish themes for group work – group work
Days 2-4: Lecture – group work – brief presentations by students
Day 5: “Meet a scientist” session – closing discussion – departure after lunch

A total of 20 places are available for advanced PhD students and recent PhD’s working on the philosophy and history of the life sciences, on social studies in the field, or on other related areas. Accommodation and meals will be covered for all participants. In addition, participants will receive travel grants, which should cover a considerable portion of the costs for travel to Gut Siggen. There is no participation fee.

How to apply: Send a single PDF containing a cover letter (no longer than two pages) and a CV (no longer than four pages) by email to toepfer@zfl-berlin.org Your cover letter should include a description of (1) your general research interests, (2) the topic you are currently working on, and (3) it should make clear how participation in the summer school is relevant to your current and future work. The deadline for applications has been extended to April, 29th, 2016. Admission decisions will be made by the beginning of May. For further information, please contact toepfer@zfl-berlin.org

CfA: PhD Student in ERC project, Tilburg University

Submitted by Jan Sprenger, Tilburg University.

The Tilburg Center for Logic, Ethics and Philosophy of Science (TiLPS)
at Tilburg University, The Netherlands, invites applications for a
four-year PhD position (1,0 fte) in philosophy of science, starting 1
September 2016 or later this year.

http://tinyurl.com/TiLPSPhDObjectivity

Candidates must hold a MA/MSc degree or equivalent by the time of
appointment. Apart from philosophy graduates, candidates with degrees in other relevant disciplines (e.g., mathematics, psychology) are welcome if they can demonstrate a high level of familiarity with philosophy of science.

The PhD position is funded by the European Research Council (ERC),
through a Starting Investigator Grant for the research project “Making
Scientific Inferences More Objective” (principal investigator: Prof. Dr. Jan Sprenger). For further information on the position, please contact the PI at j.sprenger@tilburguniversity.edu.

Candidates should submit the following documents in a single pdf file: a letter of motivation, a CV, a writing sample, a research plan (about two pages, max. 1200 words), and two letters of recommendation. If the
letters are confidential, they should be sent per email to tilps@tilburguniversity.edu.

The deadline for applications is 8 May 2016. Shortlisted candidates will be informed by 12 May, and skype interviews will be held on 17 and 18 May. Candidates will be notified as soon as possible thereafter.

The only way to apply is online by following one of these two links:

http://tinyurl.com/TiLPSPhDObjectivity

http://www.tilburguniversity.edu/about-tilburg-university/working-at/wp/

CfA: Assistant Professor, Philosophy of Science, Tilburg University

Submitted by Jan Sprenger, Tilburg University.

JOB: Assistant Professor, Philosophy of Science, Tilburg University

The philosophy department at Tilburg University (The Netherlands) seeks to appoint an outstanding candidate in philosophy of science, starting August 1, 2016. The deadline for applications is April, 22, 2016.

http://tinyurl.com/TilburgPhilSci

The successful candidate will hold a PhD in philosophy with a research specialization in philosophy of science. He/she will have a track record of publications in leading international journals or show the capability of developing such a record early in his or her career. The successful candidate is expected to apply regularly for external research funding.

Experience of teaching at university level is necessary. An ability to teach other subjects besides philosophy of science, such as logic and history of modern philosophy, is highly desirable. A significant proportion of the courses to teach is service teaching in the Tilburg School of Economics and Management, and the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. The candidate will therefore have to demonstrate an aptitude for teaching philosophy to students with little or no background in philosophy.

The department of philosophy at Tilburg University is an internationally oriented and pluralist department whose core research strength is in the Tilburg Center for Logic, Ethics and Philosophy of Science (TiLPS). The successful candidate would become a member of TiLPS and be expected to contribute to the center’s activities. A second group, Philosophy of Man and Society, aims both at highly ranked scientific publications and at a fruitful dialogue between philosophy and society. Taking as its starting point the motto of Tilburg University: ‘Understanding Society’, philosophical research at Tilburg is often done in an interdisciplinary framework.

Given that Tilburg School of Humanities aims to increase the proportion of female employees, applications from women are particularly welcome.

For inquiries about the position, please contact the Head of the Department of Philosophy, Dr. Frans van Peperstraten, at f.t.vpeperstraten@tilburguniversity.edu

The candidate should submit the following documents and merge them into one pdf file: a letter of motivation, a CV, a brief teaching dossier, a one page outline of his/her research plans, a recent research publication, and the names and contact information for two referees.

Shortlisted candidates will be informed by April, 30. Interviews and test classes will be held at some day in May. Decisions will be announced shortly thereafter.

The only way to apply is online by following this link:
http://www.tilburguniversity.edu/about-tilburg-university/working-at/wp/

Via this link you can also find another vacancy for our Department:
vacancy for an Assistant Professor in Ethics and Political Philosophy.

CfA: Human Nature and the Question of Human Individuality, July 25-29, 2016, Siggen, Germany

Submitted by Thomas Reydon, University of Hannover.

Call for Applications: Human Nature and the Question of Human Individuality (Second Interdisciplinary Summer School on Individuality in the Life Sciences)

25-29 July 2016, Gut Siggen (East Holstein, north of Lübeck, Germany; see http://toepfer-stiftung.de/seminarzentrum-gut-siggen/)

The concept of human nature and the question of how it relates to human individuality is among the most controversial topics in the life and social sciences. ‘Human nature’, as traditionally conceived, presumes an essence of ‘being human’ that can be interpreted as at conflict with claims about individuality and heterogeneity. Furthermore, it illustrates the complex intermingling of society and science, of norms and natures, and of values and facts. For instance, societal assumptions about what is normal contribute to the practice of making generalizations about what is human, which then becomes its own epistemic practice. Yet, all sciences that deal with humans necessitate generalizations to a certain extent. Debates surrounding these issues tend to parallel discussions about race, but there are important differences too. What does the history and sociology of claims about ‘human nature’ look like, especially in contrast with the idea of individuality? How have related concepts and points of comparison changed in post-essentialist times? Do we need to eliminate all talk about human nature, as already suggested for the concept of human race, because it disregards individuality and leads to the exclusion of people conceived of as ‘less human’?

This is the second of two international and interdisciplinary summer schools on individuality organized by the Philosophy of the Life Sciences in Germany network and funded by the Volkswagen Foundation. The first summer school took place in July 2015 and explored questions about biological individuality in general. This second summer school will focus on the concept of human nature and on human individuality. Both summer schools aim to bring together different perspectives in the life sciences from philosophy, history, and social studies.

Lecturers:

    • Torsten Heinemann (Hamburg)
    • Edouard Machery (Pittsburgh)
    • Erika Milam (Princeton)
    • Henrike Moll (Southern California)

Organizers, instructors & chairs:
Marie I. Kaiser (Cologne), Maria Kronfeldner (Budapest), Thomas Reydon (Hannover), Georg Toepfer (Berlin)

Program:
Day 1: Arrival – introductory presentations by the organizers – build groups and establish themes for group work – group work
Days 2-4: Lecture – group work – brief presentations by students
Day 5: “Meet a scientist” session – closing discussion – departure after lunch

A total of 20 places are available for advanced PhD students and recent PhD’s working on the philosophy and history of the life sciences, on social studies in the field, or on other related areas. Accommodation and meals will be covered for all participants. In addition, participants will receive travel grants, which should cover a considerable portion of the costs for travel to Gut Siggen. There is no participation fee.

How to apply: Send a single PDF containing a cover letter (no longer than two pages) and a CV (no longer than four pages) by email to toepfer@zfl-berlin.org Your cover letter should include a description of (1) your general research interests, (2) the topic you are currently working on, and (3) it should make clear how participation in the summer school is relevant to your current and future work. The deadline for applications is 12 April 2016. Admission decisions will be made by the end of April. For further information, please contact toepfer@zfl-berlin.org.

CfA: 4 PhD Positions in Philosophy of Science, Universities of Hannover/Bielefeld

Submitted by Thomas Reydon, University of Hannover.

Please feel free to circulate widely!

  • 4 fully funded positions for doctoral candidates in philosophy of science and/or ethics of science
  • Starting Date: October 1st, 2016
  • Within the research group “Integrating Ethics and Epistemology of Science” (jointly organized by the philosophy departments of Leibniz Universität Hannover and Bielefeld University, Germany)
  • 2 positions at Leibniz Universität Hannover, 2 at Bielefeld University
  • Net salaries roughly between 1460 and 1580 € per month, plus benefits such as health insurance
  • Appointment for three years
  • Working language English, no command of German required
  • Application Deadline: June 5th, 2016
  • More details under http://grk2073.org/apply
  • For further inquiries, please contact rafael.ugarte.chacon@philos.uni-hannover.de