MSCA PF Offer: Department of General Linguistics - Supervisor dr. Zámečník

The Department of General Linguistics of the Faculty of Arts of UP interlinks research in the humanities and natural sciences through the application of linguistic methods. Its research activities focus on topics in the field of semiotics, communication theory and the use of mathematical methods in linguistics. Currently, research and teaching in the department are focused on the following four main areas: quantitative linguistics & Digital Humanities, semiotics & biosemiotics, philosophy of science and communication theory. Philosophy of Science serves as a platform for conceptual analysis of the used methods (Quantitative Linguistics, Digital Humanities) and theories (Semiotics, Biosemiotics, Communication Theory). The focus is on models of explanation in linguistics (functional explanation) and artificial intelligence (topological explanation). We also focus on more general topics in the philosophy of science that go beyond linguistics (e. g. the use of simplifying assumptions in non-causal explanations).

Supervisor:

Dr. Lukáš Hadwiger Zámečník focuses on the philosophy of science in the tradition of analytic philosophy – he has published a book on the topic, Outline of the Philosophy of Science: Empirical Foundations of Science in the Analytic Tradition (Brno, Host 2015) and a number of research papers. Among his central research themes is the philosophy of scientific explanations, explored comparatively in the natural sciences and the social sciences and humanities – linguistic explanations are the subject of his book Investigations of Explanatory Strategies in Linguistics (Berlin, De Gruyter Mouton 2023). Another key topic that he is working on together with colleagues associated in the ScioPolisCZ project is the relationship between philosophy and sociology of science in the context of science studies – he has published an introduction to scientific reflections entitled Theory of the Humanities (Olomouc, VUP 2023).

Preferred Research Topics:

• Philosophy of Science in the Analytic Tradition

• Philosophy of Scientific Explanation

• Models of non-causal scientific explanations

• Models of explanation in linguistics and other Humanities

• Models of explanation in Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• Science and Technology Studies (STS)

• Role of Philosophy of Science in STS

• Role of Data Science and Digital Humanities in STS

Candidate Requirements:

• Ph.D. in philosophy, linguistics or AI for no more than 8 years by 9/2026 (exceptions for career breaks)

• Orientation to philosophy of science or other disciplines associated with STS

• Publications in the field

• Previous involvement in projects, independent projects

• Study abroad

• Previous residence in Czechia for no longer than 12 months in the past 3 years

Submit the following to lukas.zamecnik@upol.cz by April 15, 2026:

• a research outline (research objectives, novelty, methodology, state of the art), and

• your CV with most relevant publications.