PhD position in logical geometry and philosophy of logic

Aristotelian diagrams, such as the square of opposition, have been widely used throughout the history of philosophy and logic. Nowadays, they also have several applications in other disciplines that are concerned with logical reasoning, such as psychology, linguistics and computer science. The overarching goal of the STARTDIALOG project is to develop a unified theory of Aristotelian diagrams. In this PhD position, you will be responsible for carrying out an important and philosophically relevant part of the project, viz., to address the fundamental question why Aristotelian diagrams are used so frequently in the first place. Furthermore, you will also carry out selected case studies on philosophically relevant applications of Aristotelian diagrams. A representative but non-exhaustive list of potential research topics looks like this:

• Historically speaking, Aristotelian diagrams were primarily conceived as pedagogical devices. However, this account no longer provides a full and adequate explanation for the widespread use of Aristotelian diagrams in contemporary research. Can we develop other, more plausible explanations? One guiding hypothesis is that Aristotelian diagrams serve as powerful heuristic devices, which help to draw unexpected parallels between seemingly unrelated research contexts. 
• From a more 'empirical' or 'practice-driven' perspective, one might ask which motivations are given by actual users of Aristotelian diagrams, for their use of these diagrams. These users include both historical and contemporary authors, and investigating this will involve a mix of various methods (e.g. close reading of historical texts, interviews with contemporary logicians and other scientists, etc.).
• What are the similarities and dissimilarities between (i) the use of Aristotelian diagrams in logic and (ii) the use of other kinds of diagrams in other scientific disciplines. Typical examples for this kind of comparative research might include the use of Feynman diagrams in contemporary physics, or the use of commutative diagrams in algebra.
• At first sight, the areas of epistemic logic and deontic logic have much in common. Both areas have antecedents in medieval philosophy, both developed into full-fledged areas of formal logic in the 1950s, both are predominantly studied within the overarching framework of modal logic/Kripke semantics, etc. Despite all these similarities, Aristotelian diagrams are used very extensively in deontic logic, but much more rarely in epistemic logic. Is this a mere historical contingency, or can we come up with a more systematic and insightful explanation for this difference?

In addition to conducting independent and collaborative research on these (and similar) topics, the successful applicant will also be expected to actively participate in the common activities of the STARTDIALOG project, including meetings, seminars, reading groups, workshops, etc.