Wednesday, February 10, 2021

[DMANET] JOB Offer of a Postdoc or PhD research position in Philosophy/Mathematics/Economics at the University of Konstanz

JOB OFFER No. 2021 / 028

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of the *University of Konstanz*, which has been successful in the German
Excellence Initiative since 2007.

In the Koselleck project /Reflexive Decision and Game Theoy /of Prof.
Dr. Wolfgang Spohn at the Department of Philosophy of the University of
Konstanz a

*Research Position in Philosophy / Economics / Mathematics*

*either as Ph.D. position for 3 years (part time 65% E13)*

*or as a Postdoc position for 2 years (full time 100% E13)*

is to be filled at *July 1, 2021*, or at the earliest convenient date.
An extension of this position is possible.

The Koselleck project is about the following issues: The paradigm of
/homo oeconomicus/, as explicated in modern decision and game theory,
shapes extensive parts of our social sciences. These theories count as
delivering a basically complete normative ideal and hence serve as the
critical reference point of behavioral, psycho-, and neuroeconomics,
which attempt to overcome the empirical deficiencies of those theories.
In contrast to this mainstream, the present project takes game and
decision theory to be normatively deficient and thus attempts to improve
the normative ideal of a /homo oeconomicus/ and to thereby shift the
point of attack of empirical criticism. The project does so by
rigorously theorizing 'reflexive ascent'. According to it, a person
considers not only her possible actions and their possible consequences,
but also her possible (future) decision situations, which entail those
actions. This will provide a systematization of so-called dynamic
choice, a systematic treatment of (pre-)commitment and self-binding, and
in particular a new fundamental equilibrium concept for game theory,
which promises a novel treatment of cooperation and indeed a unification
of non-cooperative and cooperative game theory.

A more detailed description of the Koselleck project is found at
https://www.philosophie.uni-konstanz.de/ag-spohn/personen/prof-dr-wolfgang-spohn/
<https://www.philosophie.uni-konstanz.de/ag-spohn/personen/prof-dr-wolfgang-spohn/>.
Applicants are requested to study this description. The researcher is
supposed to contribute in particular to *section 5* of that description.
This requires competences in *mathematical game theory and its
environment* and, by the time the position starts, a master*s degree for
the Ph.D. position or a Ph.D. for the postdoc position, in philosophy,
mathematics, or economics. He or she will be well embedded not only at
the Department of Philosophy, but also at the Department of Economics
(Prof. Dr. Urs Fischbacher) and the Department of Mathematics (Prof. Dr.
Markus Schweighofer); he or she will be associated to the Graduate
School of Decision Sciences and will find an outstanding research
environment at our excellence university.

The University of Konstanz is committed to ensuring an environment that
provides equal opportunities and pro­motes diversity as well as a good
balance between university and family life. As an equal opportunity
employer, we strive to increase the number of women working in research
and teaching. We also support working couples through our dual career
programme
(https://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/equalopportunities/family/dual-career/
<https://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/equalopportunities/family/dual-career/>).
Persons with disabilities are explicitly encouraged to apply. They will
be given preference if appropriately qualified (contact + 49 7531 88–4016).

Applications including a CV, a letter of motivation, a list of
publications, possibly a writing sample and a list of courses taught,
and copies of academic degree certificates are to be submitted via the
application portal
https://stellen.uni-konstanz.de/jobposting/782fb42db0eb46bd5aec03931386eb13a3d2bb000
<https://stellen.uni-konstanz.de/jobposting/782fb42db0eb46bd5aec03931386eb13a3d2bb000>no
later than *March 24, 2021*. For any questions concerning this position
please contact Prof. Spohn: wolfgang.spohn@uni-konstanz.de
<mailto:wolfgang.spohn@uni-konstanz.de>

--
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Spohn
Department of Philosophy, University of Konstanz,
78457 Konstanz, Germany
Phone: +49 7531 882503, Fax: +49 7531 884121
Homepage: https://www.philosophie.uni-konstanz.de/ag-spohn/personen/prof-dr-wolfgang-spohn/


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