The successful candidate will be assigned the subproject Justice and Skepticism: Cicero's Roman Theory of Justice and the Carneadean Debate, which is linked to subproject (i) and designed to examine Cicero's notion of justice as elaborated in the Republic, the Laws and On Duties, as well as in some of the speeches. Research topics that shall be addressed include an accurate determination of the ways in which Cicero's conception of justice differs from, and may be at odds with, the ones of his Greek predecessors; an account of the specifically legal nature of Ciceronian justice; and an assessment of the extent to which Cicero's views on what constitutes a just commonwealth were shaped by his experience of the breakdown of political order during the ongoing crisis of the late Roman republic. At the end of the appointment, the successful candidate shall publish his/her research findings as a monograph, which may be submitted as a doctoral or postdoctoral thesis; in addition, she or he is expected to publish regularly in peer-reviewed journals; further responsibilities involve the participation in the regular meetings of the research team, attending research-related conferences in Zurich and abroad and helping to organize the project's conferences and symposia.
Applicants must hold a Master's or Doctor's degree in History, Classics, Philosophy or Political Science, and should have expertise in ancient philosophy and an interest Roman law. Excellent command of written and spoken English as well as good knowledge of Latin are imperative; Greek reading comprehension is an asset.