PhD Candidate: Metaphysics and Philosophical Anthropology

The Department of Metaphysics and Philosophical Anthropology is looking for a PhD candidate on a project on the concept of drive (Trieb) in classical German philosophy. The project is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The concept of drive plays an important interdisciplinary role in the modern history of ideas. During the 18th century, the concept of drive received increasing attention in the emerging disciplines of anthropology and psychology, where it was used to describe the human urges and desires, and, more importantly, in the life sciences to explain the inner forces of organic nature. But it was not until the period of classical German philosophy, especially from the 1790s onwards, that this concept developed into an important philosophical concept crucial to Kant's and post-Kantian idealistic systems. The aim of the project is to study its distinct philosophical meaning. As a PhD candidate, you will conduct research on the theoretical foundations of the concept of drive in classical German philosophy, focusing on the comparison between the concept of force and the concept of drive in the works of Kant, Fichte, and Schelling. In addition to your independent research work, you will participate in the activities of the department and help co-organise workshops and conferences. You will write your PhD thesis in English.