[PhilPhys] Job: PhD position in philosophy of physics, Warsaw University of Technology

[Antonio Vassallo]

(With apologies for cross-posting)

*Call for Applications*

*3-year PhD position in philosophy of physics at the Warsaw University of
Technology, Poland.*

*Starting date:* 4 May 2020

The International Center for Formal Ontology
<http://www.icfo.ans.pw.edu.pl/en/?p=207> (ICFO) at the Warsaw University
of Technology invites applications for a 3-year doctoral position within
the NCN funded project "Self-subsisting structures in quantum gravity
<https://ncn.gov.pl/sites/default/files/listy-rankingowe/2019-03-15/streszczenia/OPUS-17_446923-en.pdf>"
(Principal investigator: Antonio Vassallo
<https://www.ans.pw.edu.pl/Wydzial/Zaklady/Zaklad-Filozofii-i-Etyki-w-Administracji/Antonio-Vassallo-PhD>;
see below for the project's description).

The successful applicant will conduct their research in relation to the
project under the supervision of Antonio Vassallo, and is expected to
actively participate in the activities of the philosophy of physics group
<http://www.icfo.ans.pw.edu.pl/en/?page_id=3168>at the ICFO.

The ideal candidate has a good knowledge of the main debates in the
philosophy of spacetime and quantum physics; a relevant background in
physics (especially in shape dynamics) is preferable.

This is a full-time position based in Warsaw. The annual salary is
60,000.00 PLN gross plus extra funding for research-related traveling.

*N.B.: There is the possibility to hire a PhD student already enrolled at
another institution.*

To apply, the following documents should be sent to
antonio.vassallo at pw.edu.pl as a single pdf file:

1. Cover letter,

2. CV,

3. One-page research statement describing how the applicant will contribute
to the project.

Furthermore, two letters of reference should be sent to the same address
directly by the referees.

Review of the applications will start on *14 April 2020* and will continue
until the position is filled.

For any further question, please contact Dr. Antonio Vassallo:
antonio.vassallo at pw.edu.pl

***********

*Self-subsisting structures in quantum gravity*

Modern physics rests on two firm theoretical pillars, namely, general
relativity and quantum theory. Both theories enjoy huge empirical success
and have wide technological applications. It is then natural to inquire
into the possibility to merge these two theoretical frameworks into a
unique theory of quantum gravity, in order to acquire a deeper
understanding of the physical world. The project's aim is exactly to lay
down the physical and metaphysical foundations of a novel approach to
quantum gravity, which is able to provide qualitative and quantitative
answers to the main questions regarding the nature of space and time and
the origin of the "quantumness" of the world.

The need for such a novel approach is justified by the huge and seemingly
unsurmountable conceptual problems that all "orthodox" approaches to
quantum gravity have so far faced. In a nutshell, no quantum gravity
program has yet been able to come up with an ontologically clear
characterization of how spacetime looks like at the Planck scale -i.e. the
physical scale at which quantum-gravitational effects become relevant-, and
this conceptual obscurity is a huge obstacle towards a concrete physical
articulation of the theory. For example, one of the most thorny issues that
still has to be addressed is how the stable spatiotemporal structures
described by general relativity can be recovered from a "fuzzy"
quantum-gravitational regime.

The project will tackle these conceptual problems by adapting a primitive
ontology approach to quantum physics to an alternative theoretical
framework for the dynamical description of the general relativistic
gravitational field, which is dubbed shape dynamics. The project will
provide a detailed metaphysical characterization of a primitive ontology in
terms of self-subsisting structures, that is, a set of fundamental physical
elements whose individuation and behavior is described in purely relational
terms, without any need for an external embedding spacetime. This goal will
be achieved by revising the doctrine of ontic structural realism under the
light of shape dynamics.  Moreover, the project will inquire into the
nature of the dependence relation underlying the "emergence" of the general
relativistic spacetime from the ontology posited at the fundamental level.
Such a metaphysical analysis will exploit the formal methods of the
structural equation modeling framework.

The research methodology will involve a conceptual investigation firmly
routed in the analytic philosophy tradition. The basic research questions
tackled by the project originate from the framework of modern physics:
hence, the type of philosophical inquiry conducted will reflect a
naturalized attitude towards metaphysics, that is, the conviction that a
fruitful metaphysical research must be motivated and informed by science.
More precisely, a stance known as natural philosophy will be adopted, which
maintains that physics and metaphysics must be treated as a seamless whole,
meaning that the development of a physical theory must take place in
conjunction with a metaphysical elaboration of its conceptual foundations.
This approach is appropriate for the current situation in the field of
quantum gravity, where many important physical results are already
well-established in spite of there being no fully worked-out theoretical
framework as yet.

The search for a physical theory of quantum gravity raises a number of
philosophical issues concerning notably the nature of space and time. Among
them, the most compelling puzzle regards their existence: does space and
time ``disappear'' at the Planck scale and, if yes, how are they supposed
to ``emerge'' from the quantum regime? By providing a coherent ontological
picture at the Planck scale, the project has the potential to render the
above questions easier to answer, thus having a remarkable impact not only
in the development of modern physics, but also in our everyday
understanding of concepts such as "space", "time", or "change".
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