Postdoctoral Position in Philosophy

Contract Type:

Duration:

About the FHSE

The University of Luxembourg is an international research university with a distinctly multilingual and interdisciplinary character.

The Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE) at the University of Luxembourg brings together expertise from the humanities, linguistics, cognitive sciences, social and educational sciences.
People from across 20 disciplines are working within the Faculty. Along with the disciplinary approach a very ambitious interdisciplinary research culture has been developed. The faculty’s research and teaching focuses on social, economic, political and educational issues with the common goal of contributing to an inclusive, open and resourceful society.

The successful applicant will join a dynamic team of researchers working on the AHRC & FNR funded project The Role of Cognitive Experience in Decision and Action.

Your role

The project aims to deliver a new explanation of belief-discordant behaviour - situations where we fail to act in accordance with what we believe. Our hypothesis is that cognitive experience plays a vital role in our everyday actions and decisions. We propose that our beliefs need to seem true to us if they are to play a role in our everyday behaviour. Having a belief seem true involves cognitive phenomenology; experientially taking a belief to be true when we first acquire it and if we later entertain it in thought.

On our view, if a belief doesn’t seem true, it won’t be able to play a role in our everyday decisions and actions. What is more, if something seems true to us it will influence our behaviour even if we don’t believe it. The project will also reveal the importance of cognitive phenomenology on our reflective decision-making processes: beliefs which don’t seem true will have less influence over our reflective decision-making than beliefs which do seem true, and propositions which seem true will influence our reflectively made decisions even if we don’t believe them.

The role is based within the Institute of Philosophy, part of the Department of Humanities at The University of Luxembourg and the successful applicant will be directly supervised by Dr Thomas Raleigh. The project team also includes Dr Laura Gow (Principal Investigator) and Dr Robin McKenna (Co-Investigator) who are both based at The University of Liverpool, UK, and a postdoctoral researcher also based in Liverpool.

The main tasks will be to:

• Survey and analyse the nature and consumption of misleading online content
• Investigate the tactics used by the manufacturers of online disinformation
• Research the behavioural responses to misinformation
• Research the existing literature on these areas
• Carry out original research and author papers on these topics, to be published in both academic journals and public-facing venues.
• Take part in fortnightly ‘catch-up’ meetings and monthly work-in-progress meetings
• Present original research at workshops and conferences
• Assist with the organization of a conference and an exhibition
• Attend and participate at two conferences in Liverpool

Though teaching is not an obligatory part of the role, there may well be the opportunity to teach BA and/or MA courses in philosophy.

Please contact Dr Thomas Raleigh if you have any questions about the role or your suitability. thomas.raleigh@uni.lu

Your profile

• Excellent Ph.D. degree in Philosophy with an AOS in Philosophy of Mind (including philosophy of cognitive science or philosophy of AI) or Epistemology (including social epistemology) broadly construed
• Experience of carrying out academic research, and discussing and presenting this research
• A proven track-record (appropriate to career stage) of publishing in academic journals
• Able to present ideas in a professional academic setting and in a public-facing capacity
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French, German or Luxembourgish may be considered an asset but is not essential for the position.

Desirable:

• A proven track-record (appropriate to career stage) of publishing in public-facing outlets
• Experience and strong interest in online sociality and online behaviour, social media analytics, consumption of online information and misinformation
• Participation in outreach or public engagement initiatives
• Creative and innovative ideas regarding outreach and public engagement
• Genuinely value making philosophical ideas accessible outside academia

We offer

• Multilingual and international character. Modern institution with a personal atmosphere. Staff coming from 90 countries. Member of the “University of the Greater Region” (UniGR)
• A modern and dynamic university. High-quality equipment. Close ties to the business world and to the Luxembourg labour market. A unique urban site with excellent infrastructure
• A partner for society and industry. Cooperation with European institutions, innovative companies, the Financial Centre and with numerous non-academic partners such as ministries, local governments, associations, NGOs …

How to apply

Applications should include:

• Motivation letter (max. two pages) outlining how you fit the criteria for the position
• Curriculum vitae
• Writing sample: either a published journal article or an excerpt from PhD/unpublished draft paper (in which case no longer than 8000 words)
• Copies of diplomas
• Names and contact details of two academic referees

Early application is highly encouraged, as the applications will be processed upon reception. To ensure full consideration candidates should apply by 20/06/2025 ONLINE formally through the HR system. Applications by Email will not be considered.

All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. In line with our values, the University of Luxembourg promotes an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and are dedicated to upholding equality and respect for our employees and students.

General information:

• Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract 36 Month
• Work Hours: Full Time 40.0 Hours per Week
• Location: Campus Belval
• Planned Start Date: 1^st September 2025
• Internal Title: Postdoctoral researcher
• Job Reference: UOL07374

The yearly gross salary for every Postdoctoral Researcher at the UL is EUR 85176 (full time).