University of Gothenburg, Sweden, is seeking to hire a (fully salaried) doctoral candidate in the intersection of environmental and economic ethics. The candidate will join the Financial Ethics Research Group which consists of philosophers and economists dedicated to ethical and political issues raised by the financial system (in the broadest sense). More specifically, the candidate will be connected to the research program Mistra Finance to Revive Biodiversity, which is a program funded by Mistra – the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research.

The term “biodiversity” denotes the variety and variability of life on Earth, including the variety of species and ecosystems. Unfortunately, mankind’s failure to recognize the importance of and to successfully manage biodiversity has led to what is now considered a sixth mass extinction of species. The continued loss of biodiversity is eroding the foundation of all societies and economies, including our Western system of financial capitalism. Yet it has been difficult to express this loss in economic or financial terms, which may be one of the reasons why previous efforts to halt biodiversity loss have failed.

Voices are now being raised for making economic agents, such as multinational companies and financial investors, become more engaged in these efforts. After all, in financial capitalism, companies and investors command substantial stewardship over the allocation of resources which could be put to use to revive biodiversity. But in order to do so, these economic agents must be provided with both suitable knowledge and powerful incentives to consider the effects of their activities on species and ecosystems. So precisely how can this be achieved? And, more generally, is it really possible to connect environmental and economic values in a sufficiently robust manner?

This doctoral position allows the candidate to explore the topic of environmental versus economic aspects of biodiversity in greater detail. We welcome proposals that are grounded in environmental ethics or economic ethics (or both). Furthermore, the candidate is expected to propose and explore his or her own ‘twist’ or perspective on the topic, on the basis of stringent philosophical analysis and argumentation. Some examples of interesting research questions in this regard are:

• What is the value of biodiversity? Does it have intrinsic or only instrumental value? Can this value be captured by some more specific ethical or economic theory?
• Can and should we put a price on biodiversity? That is, can and should we use markets and economic thinking in order to protect species and ecosystems? Or would this count as “commodifying” nature in an unethical way?
• What duties, if any, do economic agents like companies and investors have to protect biodiversity? How do such duties square with their traditional economic role?
• What policies can the state legitimately pursue to safeguard biodiversity? Do these include substantial regulations of markets and financial flows? Should we understand biodiversity loss as a market externality?
• To what degree should we permit investors to prioritize biodiversity over other important environmental goals, such as climate change adaption and mitigation? How much should policymakers guide investors in weighing biodiversity preservation versus other similarly important objectives?
• To what extent can existing economic theories capture or explain the value of biodiversity? Is the mass extinction of species a failing of the economic sciences?

Applications must be received by: January 9, 2023

In order to apply for a position at the University of Gothenburg, you have to register an account in our online recruitment system. See more here: https://web103.reachmee.com/ext/I005/1035/job?site=7&lang=UK&validator=9b89bead79bb7258ad55c8d75228e5b7&job_id=28014

The University of Gothenburg, Sweden, is looking to hire one PhD candidate (4 years), as well as one or more post docs (2 years), in the intersection of economic and environmental ethics. All positions are fully funded and provide a competitive salary as well as other benefits.

Economic ethics is the application of moral or political philosophy to critical issues in business organizations or the economic system. Environmental ethics is the application of moral or political philosophy to critical issues in the relationship between humans and non-human environmental systems. The research area should be understood broadly so as to include subtopics like business ethics, the political philosophy of financial markets, ethics of commodification, ethics of climate change, ethics of biodiversity, environmental philosophy and the philosophy of (environmental) economics. Any applications related to these subfields are welcome.

Potential research questions in these fields include the following:

• What moral duties, if any, do commercial firms have to mitigate climate change?
• Do consumers have a duty to invest in sustainable firms?
• Is sustainability an irreducible moral value?
• Can environmental values (such as biodiversity) be expressed in monetary terms?
• Do advantaged nations have duties to promote sustainability in vulnerable nations?
• Is the state justified in coercing financial markets towards sustainability?

The researchers will join the Financial Ethics Research Group which consists of philosophers and economists dedicated to ethical and political issues raised by the financial system (in the broadest sense). More specifically, the positions are connected to the research program Sustainable Finance Lab, which is a collaboration between several Swedish universities that is funded by Vinnova, Sweden’s innovation agency. Additional funding is due to the University of Gothenburg, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Foundation, and the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research (Mistra).

More information about the PhD candidate position: Job ad at University of Gothenburg (Deadline June 13, 2022)

More information about the post-doc position(s): Job ad at University of Gothenburg (Deadline May 31, 2022)

If you have questions, please contact: Professor Joakim Sandberg, project leader

The University of Gothenburg, Sweden, is looking to hire one or more 2-year post docs in the intersection of economic and environmental ethics. Economic ethics is the application of moral or political philosophy to critical issues in business organizations or the economic system. Environmental ethics is the application of moral or political philosophy to critical issues in the relationship between humans and non-human environmental systems. The research area should be understood broadly so as to include subtopics like business ethics, the political philosophy of financial markets, ethics of commodification, ethics of climate change, ethics of biodiversity, environmental philosophy and the philosophy of (environmental) economics. Any applications related to these subfields are welcome.

Potential research questions in these fields include the following:

• What moral duties, if any, do commercial firms have to mitigate climate change?
• Do consumers have a duty to invest in sustainable firms?
• Is sustainability an irreducible moral value?
• Can environmental values (such as biodiversity) be expressed in monetary terms?
• Do advantaged nations have duties to promote sustainability in vulnerable nations?
• Is the state justified in coercing financial markets towards sustainability?

The post doc will join the Financial Ethics Research Group which consists of philosophers and economists dedicated to ethical and political issues raised by the financial system (in the broadest sense). More specifically, the post doc will be connected to the research program Sustainable Finance Lab, which is a collaboration between several Swedish universities that is funded by Vinnova, Sweden’s innovation agency. Additional funding is due to the University of Gothenburg, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Foundation, and the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research (Mistra).

Applications must be received by: May 31, 2022

More information: Job ad at University of Gothenburg

If you have questions, please contact: Professor Joakim Sandberg, project leader

The application deadline is 1 February 2022.

Companies are being regulated by politics, but they also shape the political arena themselves, whenever they influence politicians and political parties. Moreover, companies fulfill public functions such as providing public goods, regulating their own business activities, or addressing societal problems, like environmental harms. Can such a mixture of private activity and public responsibility be legitimate, in a democratic society? Do traditionally state-oriented normative ideals such as democracy, social justice and human rights apply to them? These are central questions in the ERC-Consolidator Grant-project ‘The Business Corporation as a Political Actor’. For more information, please visit the project website.

The postdoc position will execute one of the subprojects within this larger project, namely the one on ‘Economic Theories of the Corporation’. This subproject seeks to integrate insights from prevailing economic theories of the firm into the debate about the political theory of corporations. For example, can economic theories account for corporate power? To what extent do economic constraints arising from market competition make it more difficult to render corporate political power legitimate? Since corporations are both economic and political actors, the subproject aims to understand whether and how these two sides can be integrated. This is crucial for the development of a sound political theory of corporations.

You will work under the supervision of the program leader, Rutger Claassen. You will be part of a research team consisting of two PhD-candidates and two postdoctoral researchers. You will play an active role in the research team, organize and take part in workshops, public events and other activities. The positions are based at the Ethics Institute, which is part of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies of Utrecht University, which provides a stimulating and internationally oriented research environment. The position starts at September 1^st, 2022.

Qualifications

• You have completed a PhD in philosophy or in a related field (or for Dutch applicants, a PhD dissertation in one of these fields has already been accepted by the PhD Committee), by the time the position takes effect (September 1st, 2022). Additional knowledge in a field relevant to the project (especially law, economics, political science, history, sociology or business/management studies) is a plus.
• You are specialised in ethics and/or political philosophy, for example in the field of political authority/legitimacy, democratic theory and/or theories of justice.
• You have an excellent track record and research skills, relative to experience; and excellent academic writing and presentation skills.
• You have the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• You have an active interest in interdisciplinary work which connects philosophical analysis to other relevant disciplines and societal challenges.

Offer

We offer a position of 0.8 FTE for 2 years. Initially the contract will be for one year. In case of good performance and a positive evaluation, the contract will be extended for the remaining period. The gross salary – depending on previous qualifications and experience  – ranges between €3,420 and €4,348 (scale 10 according to the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities) per month for a full-time employment. 

Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3% per year. In addition, Utrecht University offers excellent secondary conditions, including an attractive retirement scheme, (partly paid) parental leave and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). More information about working at Utrecht University can be found here

Apply

To apply, please upload the following documents:

(1) a one-page letter of motivation; followed by a one-page research note, setting out your ideas about how to work out the postdoc subproject (‘Economic theories of the Corporation’ see above).

(2) a curriculum vitae of maximum 3 pages, including the names and contact details of two scholars who can be contacted for a reference (NO reference letters at this stage).

(3) One writing sample of maximum 20 pages. 

Interviews are scheduled in the week of 21-25 February. Employment will become effective by 1 September 2022. Webversion of the job ad can be found here. To apply, please click here.

We run an interdisciplinary project “Values in Finance” that combines financial economics and the philosophy of economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam: https://www.eur.nl/en/research/erasmus-initiatives/dynamics-inclusive-prosperity/research-projects/values-finance

Within that project, we have a fully funded PhD position available, based in the Department of Finance at Rotterdam School of Management: https://www.erim.eur.nl/doctoral-programme/phd-in-management/phd-vacancies/values-in-finance/

The position would be an opportunity to work towards a PhD in financial economics at a top school, while also enjoying the context of an interdisciplinary research project that has a strong philosophy of economics component and enjoys close links to the “Erasmus Institute for Philosophy and Economics” (EIPE), an international stronghold of the philosophy of economics in the last 25 years.

Do note this is a PhD in financial economics (and not philosophy), so a strong quantitative background and interest are a must.

For more information, please contact Dr. Conrad Heilmann, heilmann@esphil.eur.nl