Université Jean Moulin – Lyon 3, Institut de Recherches Philosophiques de Lyon

Context: offer of a 3-year doctoral scholarship as part of a ANR project N° ANR-23-CE54-0014-01 entitled “FONFON: Fondamentalisme et fondationalisme: perspectives croisées” (Foundationalisme and Fundamentalism: crossed perspectives). This is an International Collaborative Research Project (PRCI) between the French Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (French coordinator: Stéphane Madelrieux, Université Jean Moulin – Lyon 3; Swiss coordinator: Philippe Gonzalez, Université de Lausanne). This interdisciplinary project (philosophy, sociology, history) aims to bring together a philosophical perspective on the search for foundation (and its critique) and a socio-historical perspective on Protestant fundamentalism, with a particular focus on the relationship between American pragmatism and religion.

Thesis subject: This philosophy thesis will focus on contemporary pragmatist analyses of religion. It will aim to build up the corpus relevant to the question (e.g. Richard Rorty, Philip Kitcher, Hans Joas, Hilary Putnam, etc.) and take stock of the existing secondary literature. It will seek to identify and analyze pragmatist theses and concepts, allowing for the variety of positions held by their authors, in order to propose an overall picture of neo-pragmatist approaches to religion. It will evaluate them from the point of view of the pragmatist critique of foundationalism and absolutism, and situate them in relation to naturalism. It may relate these neo-pragmatist theses to the perspective of classical pragmatists on religion (William James, John Dewey, etc.), noting their revivals and displacements. It may also ask whether and to what extent the historical context in the United States (such as the rise of the “Christian Right”) is an important factor in understanding these positions. 

Application deadline: March 15, 2025

Start date: September 01, 2025

Duration: 36 months

Gross salary: 120K€ /36 months

Additional funding: as part of the FONFON project, it will also be possible to finance a laptop computer, occasional travel and accommodation expenses in Switzerland (Lausanne, Geneva), and a mission to the United States.

Thesis supervisor: Stéphane Madelrieux

Disciplines: contemporary philosophy, pragmatism, philosophy of religion, American philosophy; secondarily: metaphysics, philosophy of knowledge, moral and political philosophy.

Requirements: 

– The candidate must have obtained or be in the process of obtaining a Master’s degree in philosophy. The start date of the doctoral contract implies that the Master’s degree must be obtained by July 5, 2025 at the latest. A teaching qualification (e.g. CAPES, agrégation) is not compulsory, but will be taken into account when assessing the candidate’s application. 

– Non-French applicants are welcome, but the working language is French. Candidates must also have a very good command of English. 

– He/she must be willing to commit to both the scientific and organizational aspects of the ANR project. 

– He/she will be attached to the Institut de Recherches Philosophiques de Lyon (IRPhiL), which implies an administrative residence in Lyon. 

– The doctoral student will belong to the Doctoral School of Philosophy in Lyon (ED n° 487). To validate his/her doctorate, he/she must complete 60 hours of training over the entire duration of the doctorate.

The application must include :

– A detailed CV

– A detailed letter of motivation, explaining how the subject would be approached. 

– A letter of recommendation from the Master thesis supervisor. 

– A copy of the Master’s degree (or equivalent) or, failing this, a document certifying that the M2 is in the process of being obtained (the start date of the doctoral contract implies that the Master’s degree must be obtained by July 5, 2025 at the latest).

– Where applicable, a copy of the teaching diploma (such as CAPES or agrégation)

– Where applicable, a certificate of French language proficiency.

Submission procedure: applications should be sent directly in electronic form under the heading “DOC FONFON-NAME” to the following address: stephane.madelrieux@univ-lyon3.fr. 

Contact: stephane.madelrieux@univ-lyon3.fr