Postdoctoral position in Ancient Philosophy

Vrije Universisteit; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 41,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

8% holiday allowance

8.3% end-of-year bonus

Commuting contributions

Work partly from home

Personal development opportunities

Job summary

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam invites a postdoctoral researcher to join the LALA project, exploring philosophical activities in late ancient Alexandria after Hypatia. The role focuses on logic, mathematics, astronomy, metaphysics, religion, and history, with opportunities to publish and collaborate within a small, specialized team.

You will contribute to research, workshops, and outreach, and you should have a PhD related to history or philosophy, with strong Greek skills and fluent English.

Qualifications

• PhD in history of philosophy, history of mathematics, history of astronomy, and/or ancient history.
• Research experience in philosophy, logic, mathematics, astronomy, or history of Neoplatonism, late antiquity and/or Alexandria.
• Very good command of Ancient Greek.
• Fluent in spoken and written English.

Responsibilities

• conducting research and publishing academic papers relevant to the overall aims of the LALA project
• taking part in research activities of the team
• organizing a workshop on the project's themes
• contributing to outreach activities

Skills

Ancient Greek

English fluency

Neoplatonism/late antiquity research

Education

PhD in History of Philosophy

PhD in History of Mathematics

PhD in History of Astronomy

PhD in Ancient History

Job description

Your function

You will be a postdoctoral researcher within the NWO-funded LALA project. You will conduct research on philosophical activities in late ancient Alexandria, specifically after the death of Hypatia and within the school of Ammonius.The thematic focus of your research may be in (philosophy of) logic, (philosophy of) mathematics or astronomy, metaphysics, religion, and/or history.

Your duties

• conducting research and publishing academic papers relevant to the overall aims of the LALA project
• taking part in research activities of the team
• organizing a workshop on the project's themes
• contributing to outreach activities

Your profile

• you have a PhD in history of philosophy, history of mathematics, history of astronomy, and/or ancient history
• you have research experience in the philosophy, logic, mathematics, astronomy, or history of Neoplatonism, late antiquity and/or Alexandria
• you have a very good command of Ancient Greek
• you are fluent in spoken and written English

As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset.

We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

What do we offer?

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

• a salary of minimum € 3.706,00 (Scale 10) and maximum€ 5.760,00 (Scale 10) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile Researcher 4. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
• a position of 18 full time research months, or a part-time equivalent. Your employment contract will be for at least 0.7 FTE and will last at most 2 years.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:

• A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• contribution to commuting expenses
• the possibility to work partly from home
• space for personal development

About us

About the department, institute, project The LALA project investigates the nature and historical context of activities in the fields of philosophy, esp. logic, mathematics, and astronomy, in 5th-6th century Alexandria. The research team as a whole will consist of three postdocs and a PI. The current two postdocs and the PI conduct research on the philosophical heritage of Hypatia, on the principle of non-contradiction in Ammonius' school, and on the use of syllogisms in the commentaries (esp. on Plato) of Ammonius' school. You, the third postdoc, will conduct research on a topic of your choice that fits the overall aims of the project. For example, you may focus on the presence of metaphysical commitments in the writings of (one of the) commentators associated with Ammonius' school, or on the relation between the political and religious circumstances and philosophical activities in 5th-6th c. Alexandria. We will take into consideration any project that we consider a good fit with the overall aims of the LALA project. Questions regarding the research project may be addressed to [e-mail].

The project is embedded in the VU Department of Philosophy, with strong ties with the Department of Art & Culture, History, and Antiquity.

Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities

A better understanding of ourselves and social communities, values and meaning, through social sciences and humanities. That is the aim of The Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. No single discipline can do this alone. The SSH disciplines are characterised by an open way of thinking and the natural urge to seek coherence and connection.

The faculty consists of nine academic departments within three schools: School of Religion & Theology (SRT), School of Social Sciences (SSc) and School of Humanities (SH).

Are you interested in joining Social Sciences and Humanities? You become part of a dynamic academic community with approximately 900 staff members, over 5,000 regular students and more than 5,000 course participants. In an inspiring and collegial environment, we work together on education and research with impact.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.