W2 Professorship in the History of Philosophy

Institution: Faculty of Humanities, Seminar for Philosophy
Date of Announcement: 19.03.2026
Application Deadline: 30.04.2026


The Faculty of Humanities at the University of Göttingen invites applications for a permanent professorship with civil servant status (grade W2 NBesO) at the Seminar for Philosophy effective at the earliest possible date:

W2 Professorship in the History of Philosophy (f/m/d)

We are looking for a committed and team-oriented colleague with a Habilitation or an equivalent qualification. The successful candidate must have a track-record of outstanding, internationally visible publications in the history of philosophy. Their research should demonstrate their expertise in at least one area of the history of philosophy as well as their ability to address philosophical issues in a systematic way. An additional interest in non-European philosophical traditions is desirable. The successful candidate should be prepared to cooperate in international and interdisciplinary projects, as well as in joint research projects addressing contemporary philosophical and social questions.

The successful candidate must be prepared to teach a broad range of classes tailored to the courses in the history of philosophy provided by the Seminar’s programmes for the Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Master of Education in Philosophy, as well as for the secondary school subject “Werte und Normen”. The preparedness to teach this range of courses must be demonstrated by sufficient teaching experience in the field of the history of philosophy. The Faculty of Humanities explicitly welcomes teaching and research approaches that emphasise gender-sensitive perspectives. The University of Göttingen values research-oriented teaching.

In addition to professional expertise, we expect a high level of commitment to teaching, an interest in developing and ensuring the quality of teaching concepts and study programmes, and a willingness to develop benchmarks for quality development. We further expect a willingness to engage actively in academic administration in committees of the Seminar for Philosophy and the Faculty of Humanities.

Appointment requirements are stipulated by Article 25 of the Lower Saxony Higher Education Act in the most current version of that law. As a rule, junior professors and other members of the University of Göttingen can only be considered for a professorial appointment if after the completion of the doctoral thesis they have transferred to another university or worked for a minimum of two years in research elsewhere. The University of Göttingen is a Public Law Foundation and thereby entitled to award professorships. Details will be provided upon request.

Applications from abroad are explicitly welcome. The University of Göttingen strives to increase the proportion of women in areas where women are underrepresented and therefore explicitly invites qualified female scholars to apply. The University has committed itself to being a family-friendly institution and supports its employees in balancing work and family life. The University is particularly committed to the professional participation of disabled employees and therefore welcomes applications from persons with disabilities. In the case of equivalent qualifications, applications from disabled persons will be given preference. In order for the University to be able to protect the interests of the applicant, information about a disability or equal status should be included in the application.

Applications should include a curriculum vitae, a description of your scientific career including teaching activities, as well as a list of publications. Please address your application to the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Göttingen, Humboldtallee 17, 37073 Göttingen, and send it in PDF format to bewerbungen.philfak@phil.uni-goettingen.de by April 30, 2026.

For further information please contact the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Humanities (dekanat@phil.uni-goettingen.de).

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Please note that only the German version of this job announcement is legally binding.