Research Fellow - AR3263

University of St Andrews - School of Philosophical, Anthropological and Film Studies

Placed On: 30th March 2026
Closes: 15th May 2026
Job Ref: 466426

Start date: 1 January 2027

Full time Fixed term: 24 months

Applications are sought for a committed Post-doctoral Research Fellow to work with Dr Aaron J Cotnoir conducting research for a EPSRC funded project entitled Instruments of Unity: the Many Ways of Being One. Here is a short description of the project:

How do many things come together into single unified entity? What is it to be whole? How is a group united? How do we carve the world into its most natural units? We perceive unities everywhere: from ant colonies to cellular automata, from organisms to organisations. Yet we have little understanding about the general constraints by which they unified. The Instruments of Unity Project tackles this abstract question in a way that provides concrete applicable answers. The core hypothesis: unity is a complex pluralistic phenomenon, requiring a multifaceted theoretical approach. We identify unity relations across a variety of formal settings, using tools from part/whole theory, theories of location, qualitative dimensions, modal logics, graph theory, weighted networks, topology, mathematical morphology, and more. In sum: there are many ways to be one.

The project goals include: pioneering novel formal paradigms for unity; developing a measurement-theoretic ‘Guide for Naturalness’; applying the framework to problems in metaphysics, including social and formal ontologies; and even addressing the ‘meta’-question of whether there’s any unity to the different types of unity. Along the way, we will rehabilitate a more holistic ‘carving’-based metaphysics over against the dominant reductionistic ‘building’-based paradigm.

The successful applicant will have (or be near to completion of) a PhD in Philosophy with expertise in at least one of: formal ontology, social ontology, and metaphysics.

The post is available for 24 months starting 1 Jan 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Further information and informal enquiries may be directed to Dr Aaron J. Cotnoir at ac117@st-andrews.ac.uk

Benefits

• Financial contribution to relocation (if eligible)
• Membership of the USS Pension Scheme with a generous employer contribution of 14.5%
• A hybrid working environment, including partial homeworking where appropriate and a range of family friendly policies, supporting work-life balance
• Staff discount scheme for local and national goods and services
• Free staff parking, employee Carshare and Cycle to Work Schemes and subsidised local bus travel
• Subsidised sports membership, reduced tuition fees on degree programmes for staff, access to training and development opportunities including LinkedIn Learning, access to library facilities, salary sacrifice scheme
• 34 Days Annual Leave plus 5 Public Holidays.

Closing date: 15 May 2026

Job Description: AR3263RS FPs.pdf

Ref no: AR3263RS