{"id":3841572,"date":"2026-08-17T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-08-17T11:00:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T08:00:16","slug":"3841572","status":"publish","type":"job_listing","link":"https:\/\/laura.fi\/en\/vacancies\/tampereen-yliopisto\/senior-research-fellow-yliopistotutkija-suffering-and-meliorism-in-literature-and-the-philosophy-of-literature-within-the-centre-of-excellence-in-meliorist-philosophy-of-suffering\/3841572\/","title":{"rendered":"Senior Research Fellow \/ Yliopistotutkija (Suffering and Meliorism in Literature and the Philosophy of Literature, within the Centre of Excellence in Meliorist Philosophy of Suffering)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tampere University and Tampere University of Applied Sciences create a unique environment for multidisciplinary, inspirational, and high-impact research and education. Our universities community has its competitive edges in technology, health, and society.\u00a0<\/em>www.tuni.fi\/en<\/a><\/p>\n

The Faculty of Social Sciences\u00a0<\/a>at Tampere University invites applications for a fixed-term Senior Research Fellow position in literary studies and\/or philosophy of literature for a two-year period starting in January 2027<\/strong> (or as agreed).\u00a0<\/p>\n

The position is open within the Centre of Excellence in Meliorist Philosophy of Suffering<\/em> (MePhiS), funded by the Research Council of Finland, and its research team Suffering and Meliorism in Literature and the Philosophy of Literature<\/em>. Among the five research teams of MePhiS, four are hosted by the Faculty of Theology at the University of Helsinki, while the team Suffering and Meliorism in Literature and the Philosophy of Literature<\/em> is hosted by the Faculty of Social Sciences at Tampere University. The Centre offers a supportive and inspiring research environment and excellent opportunities for researchers to develop their careers in an international and interdisciplinary setting. More information about MePhiS is available at: www.helsinki.fi\/mephis<\/a> .<\/p>\n

MePhiS engages in philosophical and interdisciplinary scholarship that places the concept of suffering at the centre of philosophical reflection and offers conceptual and argumentative tools for a deeper understanding of human engagement with affliction, starting from the meliorist (Lat. melior<\/em>, better) idea that the world can and should be made better through active human efforts. According to meliorism, a positive outcome is neither guaranteed (optimism) nor impossible (pessimism).<\/p>\n

The research group on Suffering and Meliorism in Literature and the Philosophy of Literature<\/em> within MePhiS focuses on literary studies and the philosophy of literature as pathways to a meliorist philosophy of suffering. We take seriously the idea that literature can articulate philosophical questions and shape people\u2019s\u00a0<\/strong>ways of\u00a0<\/strong>experiencing,\u00a0<\/strong>expressing, and coping with suffering. The group critically examines writers and literary traditions associated with optimism, pessimism, and\/or meliorism, and analyses literary works that reflect societal anxieties as well as human or non-human suffering arising from war, violence, poverty, marginalisation, the climate crisis, and related challenges. We also investigate how philosophers draw on literature in developing ethical responses to suffering.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Position<\/strong><\/p>\n

Towards these ends, we invite applications for a Senior Research Fellow with a background in literary studies and\/or philosophy of literature<\/strong> with demonstrated interest in advancing research in these fields.<\/p>\n

The Senior Research Fellow will be responsible for<\/p>\n