PhD Scholarship in the History of Modality

PhD Scholarship in the History of Modality

We invite applications from suitably qualified people for a three-year doctoral scholarship in philosophy at the Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), New Zealand. The scholarship is funded by a grant awarded to Ed Mares (VUW), Adriane Rini (Massey University), and Max Cresswell (VUW), by the Marsden Fund of the Royal Society of New Zealand. The project is A Natural History of Necessity.

We welcome inquiries and applications from students interested in writing on topics involving any part of the history of necessity and possibility. This can include a detailed investigation into the work of one philosopher or a comparative study of several, or the history of a modal concept.

The scholarship runs for three years. It pays $25,000 NZ per annum plus tuition fees. Applications are due by  4 April 2011 (usually accept if day late because of time zones) . For information on how to apply for admission to a PhD at Victoria University, see http://www.victoria.ac.nz/fgr/prospective-phds/applying.aspx#how-to-apply. In addition to the procedures outlined by the university for applying for a PhD, applicants will also need to apply for the scholarship. This is done simply by telling Ed Mares (edwin.maresATvuw.ac.nz) that they are applying. Potential applicants can also contact Ed Mares for more information.

There may be also opportunities for additional funding from teaching and tutoring. Potential applicants should consult http://www.victoria.ac.nz/fgr/prospective-phds/applying.aspx for information about VUW prerequisites for doctoral study. Students from outside New Zealand should also look at the university web site (http://www.victoria.ac.nz/fgr/prospective-phds/international-students.aspx) for international students.

Prof. Mares' areas of specialization are logic, philosophical logic, history of philosophy, particularly early modern, Kant, Russell, and the history of analytic philosophy. Dr Rini's areas of specialization are ancient and modern philosophy, and the history of logic, especially Aristotle's modal logic and the Quine-Carnap debate. Prof. Cresswell's specialities are modal logic, semantics and the history of philosophy.