Postdoctoral Researcher on 'Metaphysics, Ethics, and Epistemology of Risk'

The Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Helsinki invites applications for the position of a

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER

in the Research Council of Finland funded Academy Research Fellow project Metaphysics, Ethics, and Epistemology of Risk for a fixed term period for the duration of 2 years, starting date flexible.

PROJECT

Risk judgments play a pivotal role in human societies. By acting in the world we inevitably take risks and impose them on others. Risk is connected to normative practices. For instance, whether a war against a state suspected of sponsoring terrorism is morally justified depends in part on whether it minimizes the risk of future terrorist attacks. It is often proper to blame someone for imposing unnecessary risks on us, such as transporting hazardous materials without taking proper safety measures. Plausibly, whether one knows a proposition depends on how high the risk of forming a false belief is. But what exactly is risk, and why is it of normative significance?

In the research project ‘Metaphysics, Ethics, and Epistemology of Risk’ new insights about how we should understand risk are applied to a wide range of ethical and epistemological questions. The postdoctoral researcher’s work is expected to focus on ethical questions where the notion of risk can be utilized, such as ‘what ought we do under conditions of moral uncertainty?’, ‘does the risk value of a given event increase with its disutility?’, ‘should we be concerned about farfetched events which have catastrophic consequences?’, ‘can the kind of accidentality that is incompatible with morally worthy action be understood in terms of risk?’, and, ‘can we harm others merely by imposing risks on them?’

The project team consists of the PI (Jaakko Hirvelä), whose work will focus on the metaphysics and epistemology of risk, and the postdoctoral researcher, who is expected to work on ethical questions related to risk. The project runs in tandem with another research project on risk (‘The Structure and Nature of Risk’, PI Jaakko Hirvelä), which houses an additional postdoctoral researcher working on the philosophy of risk. The project team will conduct research into the nature of risk, and apply philosophical theories of risk to epistemological and ethical issues. The primary methods of the research project are philosophical analysis and model-building.

RESPONSIBILITIES
 

The main task of the appointed researcher is to conduct research into ethical issues where the notion of risk plays an essential role. The postdoctoral researcher is expected to participate in weekly project meetings, and in the general research seminars held by the philosophy unit in Helsinki. The postdoctoral researcher will help organizing conferences and workshops.
In addition, the postdoctoral researcher will actively contribute to teaching and administrative tasks in the discipline of Practical Philosophy at the University of Helsinki (up to 5% of their working time annually), and assist in preparing new research proposals. It is possible to complete the teaching and administrative tasks through English.
 
QUALIFICATIONS  
 

An appointee to the position must hold a doctoral degree in philosophy, and have relevant specialization in either ethics, metaethics, epistemology, or metaphysics. The default assumption is that the doctoral degree requirement must be met by the beginning of the employment. Applicants must have strong philosophical writing skills and excellent command of written and spoken English.
 

WHAT WE OFFER  
 
The philosophy unit at the University of Helsinki is an excellent place to conduct research, housing some of the very best epistemologists and ethicists, such as Professor Maria Lasonen-Aarnio and Professor Antti Kauppinen. We have an active group of researchers working on the interconnections between epistemic, moral and practical normativity.

University of Helsinki is an equal opportunity employer and offers an attractive and diverse workplace with a variety of development opportunities and benefits. The annual gross salary range will be approx. €43,000 – €47,000, depending on the appointee’s qualifications and experience. Standard Finnish pension benefits and occupational health care are provided for university employees. Further information can be obtained online. The employment contract will include a probationary period of six months.
 
Finland is a member of the European Union, has high quality free schooling (also in English) and generous family benefits and healthcare. Finland was recently ranked as the best country in the world for expat families, and Helsinki in the world’s top ten most livable cities. Finland and the Helsinki region feature leading research and innovation facilities, clean environment, affordable accommodation, and excellent international, national, and local transport connections. For more information about working at the University of Helsinki and living in Finland, please see the websites.

The chosen applicants are expected to reside in Finland while employed by the University of Helsinki. The Faculty of Social Sciences provides assistance in relocation.

HOW TO APPLY  
 

The University of Helsinki welcomes applicants from a variety of genders, linguistic and cultural backgrounds, and minorities.
 
Please submit your application, together with the required attachments, through the University of Helsinki Recruitment System via the link "Apply now" (“Hae nyt”). Use your current email address to register to the Recruitment System. Only applicants who are currently employed by the University of Helsinki are requested to submit their application via the link “Employee login”. The closing date for applications is 28th of February, 2025.
 
Applicants are requested to enclose with their applications the following documents in English:
 
(1) their curriculm vitae (max 4 pages), (2) a two-page research plan detailing their planned research and how it connects with their previous work, and (3) one writing example (max 10 000 words). Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed and final decisions will be made in April.

 
FURTHER INFORMATION

For any questions don’t hesitate to contact jaakko.hirvela@helsinki.fi.