Assistant Professor in Philosophy (PHIL23-1)

The Post and the Department 

The Department of Philosophy at Durham University seeks to appoint an outstanding philosopher with research interests in data science and/or artificial intelligence, and teaching expertise in formal logic and critical thinking. Interests and expertise in one or more of the following areas may also be an advantage: epistemology, philosophy of cognitive science and philosophy of law. We particularly welcome candidates with interests and expertise in non-Western and other under-represented traditions in philosophy. This is a new post arising from the very successful recent launch of an interdisciplinary master’s programme in data science. It will involve teaching and supervising projects across disciplinary boundaries within this programme, as well as in core areas of philosophy.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing department that pursues research that is world-leading and world-changing. The Philosophy Department at Durham University has concentrations of research expertise across the discipline, with four main research clusters: Aesthetics, Ethics and Politics; History of Philosophy; Mind, Language and Metaphysics and Science, Medicine, and Society. It is home to the Centre for Humanities Engaging Science and Society (CHESS) and has strong links with other interdisciplinary research centres and institutes at Durham.

At postgraduate and undergraduate level, our students can choose from a wide range of teaching, spanning the whole discipline of philosophy and the history and philosophy of science and medicine. The Department’s undergraduate programmes are to be found among the top 10 in national rankings for philosophy (The Guardian, The Complete University Guide and The Times). The Department has one of the largest PhD programmes in the UK, and many of our students go on to pursue highly successful academic careers.

Benefitting from strong student recruitment, the Department has expanded significantly in recent years, investing in key research areas including philosophy of health and medicine, and environmental philosophy. We are using this opportunity to create a scholarly community that is open, representative, and diverse: our commitment to this is expressed through the work of the Department’s Diversity and Inclusion Group, and our recent Athena Swan Bronze award. We have strengthened our research culture by consolidating and deepening current areas of strength with new appointments; further developing our collaborations with researchers, policymakers, and practitioners from other disciplines and beyond academia; and using external funding and University research centres and institutes to support innovative research and the environment it needs to flourish.

This post offers an exciting opportunity to make a major contribution to the development of internationally excellent research and teaching at Durham, while allowing you unrivalled opportunities to progress and embed your career in an exciting and progressive institution. For more information, please visit our Department pages:

www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/philosophy