PhD Candidate in the History of Philosophy

The Department of the History of Philosophy of the Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies is looking for a PhD candidate to conduct research on Hans Kelsen's interpretation of Plato. Hans Kelsen was one of the most influential jurists and legal philosophers of the twentieth century. His work comprises not only seminal publications on legal theory, but also in-depth investigations into the history of philosophy, including writings on Plato.

The aim of this project is to reconstruct the intellectual and theoretical background of Kelsen’s interpretation of Plato. The project will shed light on the relationship between Kelsen’s writings on the Platonic dialogues and other interpretations of Plato that have been propounded by major intellectuals, philosophers, and classical philologists in the twentieth century. Also, the project will investigate the connections between Kelsen’s approach to the Platonic dialogues and his theory of law. The project will thus provide a novel contribution to the history of the reception of Plato in contemporary thought.

The Department's research is embedded in the Center for the History of Philosophy and Science. The Center has a very cohesive research group. Its members lunch together on a regular basis. They share their research in work-in-progress meetings, and they co-teach, co-publish, and co-organise conferences. PhD supervision is of high quality, not at the least because of the daily presence of supervisors and supervisees at the department. The aforementioned project will be conducted in close cooperation with the Center for Contemporary European Philosophy.

• An MA degree in Philosophy (including Philosophy of Law).
• Strong conceptual skills.
• Willingness to teach (your teaching load may be up to 10% of your appointment).
• Proficiency in English (C1).
• Excellent reading skills in German.
• Knowledge of ancient Greek is not required but would be an advantage.

• Employment: 0.8 (5 year contract) - 1.0 FTE (4 year contract).
• The gross starting salary amounts to €2,434 per month based on a 38-hour working week, and will increase to €3,111 from the fourth year onwards (salary scale P).
• In addition to the salary: an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• Duration of the contract: you will be appointed for an initial period of 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4 year contract) or 3.5 years (5 year contract).
• The intended start date is 3 January 2022.
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services. Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment and help your family settle in Nijmegen.

Additional employment conditions
Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

The Department of the History of Philosophy brings together historians of philosophy and historians of science in a single teaching and research unit. As far as teaching is concerned, the Department provides courses in the history of philosophy from Antiquity to the current age for the Faculty's Bachelor's, Master's, and Research Master's programmes. As far as research is concerned, the Center for the History of Philosophy and Science (CHPS), investigates the evolution of natural philosophy from Antiquity to the 21st century. It pays particular attention to the period between 1250 and 1700, and to the consequences of the fragmentation of the Aristotelian worldview into the manifold of modern scientific disciplines. This fragmentation of natural philosophy into different sciences, which no longer share common ontological and epistemological premises, raises important questions for contemporary philosophers, which are also addressed by CHPS. The reception of ancient philosophy in modern and contemporary thought is also crucial in the Department's research. 

Research and teaching topics include the notions of place/space, time, matter, motion, chance and necessity, but also soul, mind and cognition. Within the global academic landscape, CHPS is unique in approaching the history of philosophy and the history of science as historically intertwined phenomena. For this reason, it has attracted staff, PhD candidates, and postdoctoral researchers from many countries, and functions as an international hub for scholars interested in the combination of the history of philosophy and the history of science. In addition to addressing academic peers, CHPS also reaches out to a wider audience to contribute to a better understanding of the historical trajectory that has led to today's science and technology-driven society.

The Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies is a compact, ambitious organisation with approximately 160 staff and nearly 900 students from the Netherlands and abroad. Our educational programme includes several top-notch degree programmes in both in-depth disciplinary fields of study and interdisciplinary and interfaculty studies. The faculty has innovative education and research programmes with a strong focus on current social issues.

• Letter of motivation.
• CV including a transcript of records and contact details of two references.
• A research project proposal (1,000 - 2,500 words) about Kelsen's interpretation of Plato (including a timeline)
• A writing sample (publication, essay or excerpt from MA thesis).
• Proof of proficiency in English (C1 level).