Professorship in Philosophy of Mind an Language

University of Zurich; Zürich; On-site; CHF 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working models

Childcare support

Language Center collaboration with ETH

Wide range of continuing education

University facilities and research atU

Job summary

The University of Zurich invites applications for a Professorship in Philosophy of Mind and Language, starting 1 August 2028. The successful candidate will have an outstanding research record in mind and language, with interdisciplinary experience in empirical fields related to the Evolving Language initiative and extensive teaching experience.

Applicants must hold a PhD in Philosophy, with publications demonstrating additional expertise.

Qualifications

• PhD in philosophy with strong scholarship in mind and language.
• Proven publication record in philosophy of mind and philosophy of language.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration with empirical research fields is essential.

Responsibilities

• Teach across theoretical philosophy and related areas.
• Collaborate with colleagues within and beyond the Department of Philosophy.
• Contribute to research and teaching in national and international projects.

Skills

Philosophy of mind

Philosophy of language

Interdisciplinary research

Teaching experience

Education

PhD in Philosophy

Job description

Professorship in Philosophy of Mind an Language 100 %

Department of Philosophy

The University of Zurich invites applications for a professorship in philosophy of mind and language starting on 1 August 2028.

The successful candidate will have an outstanding and internationally recognised research profile clearly grounded in philosophy, with demonstrated expertise in both philosophy of mind and philosophy of language, together with an extensive teaching experience. The successful candidate must also have substantial interdisciplinary expertise in at least one empirical research field relevant to the NCCR «Evolving Language», such as evolutionary language research, biological anthropology, cognitive ethology or animal communication, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, cognitive neuroscience, computational linguistics, or generative AI.

The appointee will be expected to contribute to teaching across the full range of theoretical philosophy, and it would be advantageous if they were also able to offer courses in selected areas of the history of philosophy. In addition to providing innovative contributions to research in the field, the successful candidate will be expected to collaborate in both research and teaching with colleagues within the Department of Philosophy (in particular those working on normativity), across the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, with other faculties at the University of Zurich, and with national and international partners (notably the NCCR «Evolving Language»).

Applicants must hold a PhD in Philosophy at the time of application and have an excellent record of further scholarly publications demonstrating an additional area of expertise. Depending on qualifications and experience, the position will be appointed at the level of Full Professor or Associate Professor. German is the administrative language of the University of Zurich; therefore, the successful candidate will be expected to acquire an adequate command of German within three years of appointment.

The Department of Philosophy, the University of Zurich, and the wider Zurich academic environment offer a stimulating setting for research and teaching, with extensive opportunities for academic exchange and collaboration. The University of Zurich is an equal opportunities employer and committed to diversity in research and teaching. Therefore, applications from candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged.

Applications should be submitted online by 23 November 2026. Further details and access to the application portal are available on the website of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

What we offer

Work-Life Balance

• Flexible working models (such as part-time positions, mobile working, job-sharing)
• Childcare at the kihz foundation of UZH and ETH
• Wide range of continuing education courses of UZH and the Canton of Zurich
• Language Center run jointly with ETH Zurich
• Food and drinks at reduced prices in the UZH cafeterias
• Special conditions on the Academic Sports Association ASVZ
• Free seasonal flu vaccinations
• Rest and relaxation at the quiet room in the university tower
• Private traffic: Carsharing, rent a vehicle, parking space
• Digitalization: Hardware, software, mobile phone subscriptions
• Special conditions on hotel reservations
• Most UZH staff are employed according to public law
• Support for people from outside Switzerland