The Collective Epistemology of Misinformation

The problem of misinformation isn’t new. But the development of new media technologies including social media, algorithmic filtering of information, and online discussion forums, seems to have given rise to a uniquely challenging phenomenon, characterised by extreme polarisation, and mistrust in experts and institutions. By far, the predominant way in which scholars have addressed the problem of misinformation has been with a focus on individuals and their beliefs. Instead, this project aims to shed new light on the epistemic crisis we are experiencing by focusing on groups and their beliefs, with particular attention to issues of identity and group membership and how they interact with the demands of epistemic rationality. The results of this analysis will enrich our understanding of misinformation, as well as provide new avenues for combating misinformation aimed at collectives, rather than individuals. This project investigates the collective epistemology of misinformation with the methods of contemporary analytic epistemology, grounded in and informed by empirical results from cognate fields, including sociology, psychology, economics, and political science.

Job description
The candidate's primary responsibility will be to conduct research and write a PhD thesis. The PhD position is located within the Erasmus School of Philosophy (ESPhil) and part of the Erasmus Institute for Philosophy and Economics (EIPE). The candidate will be supervised by Dr. M. Giulia Napolitano and Dr. Conrad Heilmann.

We are looking for a motivated PhD candidate with the following background and skills:

• A background in analytic philosophy (MA) with familiarity and an interest in at least one of the following areas: (social) epistemology, social and political philosophy, social ontology
• Excellent command of the English language, both written and spoken
• Willingness to move to the Netherlands and integrate oneself in the academic environment at ESPhil and EUR
• Good writing, oral, and organisational skills
• Interest in engaging with research in other fields, including sociology, psychology, economics

We offer you an internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with excellent working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU).

The start date of this position is 01-JUN-2024 and you will be based at Erasmus School of Philosophy (ESPhil). This position is for 0.8 fte - 1 fte FTE. The salary ranges from a minimum of € 2.770 to a maximum of € 3.539 gross per month Scale PhD on a fulltime basis (38 hours), in accordance with the CAO-NU. The position begins with a temporary employment contract for 18 months in which the candidate’s suitability is evaluated. If the candidate is suitable, then an additional contract of 30 months follows, leading to a total appointment of 4 years.

Everything else we offer you, you can find below!

• Everything you need for a good work-life balance: the option to work from home in consultation with your manager, 41 days of paid leave with a 40 hour contract, 8% holiday pay and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and a significant discount on a subscription for our on-campus sports centre!
• Sustainable, inclusive and diverse work environment with an open culture, where you can be yourself and we pay attention to each other and to the world around us. Make the most of our bicycle budget, or join networks such as Young@EUR, FAME or QuEUR.
• Time and space for your development in the broadest sense: development days and a personal career budget, foreign exchange opportunities with most costs paid by EUR, and free access to our university library.
• Good pension with ABP that EUR contributes 2/3rds towards, discounts on various collective insurances with Zilveren Kruis Achmea, Loyalis, and Allianz, and compensation for travel, working from home and home internet use.
• Are you currently combining your job with parenthood, or do you want to do so in the future? EUR offers partially paid parental leave and fully paid additional birth leave for partners, and our campus features a daycare.
• Moving to the Netherlands for your job with EUR? Then you may be eligible for the 30%-ruling if you meet the requirements of the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax agency), and with our Dual Career Programme we will also help your partner find the right job for them.

Erasmus University Rotterdam

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is an internationally oriented university with a strong social orientation in its education and research, as expressed in our mission ‘Creating positive societal impact’. EUR is home to 3.700 academics and professionals and almost 33.000 students from more than 140 countries. Everything we do, we do under the credo The Erasmian Way – Making Minds Matter. We’re global citizens, connecting, entrepreneurial, open-minded, and socially involved. These Erasmian Values function as our internal compass and create EUR’s distinctive and recognizable profile. From these values, with a broad perspective and with an eye for diversity, different backgrounds and opinions, our employees work closely together to solve societal challenges from the dynamic and cosmopolitan city of Rotterdam. Thanks to the high quality and positive societal impact of our research and education, EUR can compete with the top European universities. www.eur.nl.

Erasmus School of Philosophy (ESPhil)
Erasmus School of Philosophy is a leading research and teaching institution of Erasmus University Rotterdam. The faculty is one of the two independent faculties of philosophy in the Netherlands. ESPhil has a broad international orientation, with many international students (total number of students is currently about 800), PhDs (about 15), and staff members (about 30), and has excellent connections with universities abroad.