Offer Description
Basic summary
2-year PhD scholarship in philosophy at UCLouvain (Belgium). Full-time research (no teaching). This PhD scholarship is part of a research project in normative political philosophy entitled “Equality of Burdens: Foundations, Limits, and Implications”, which may be appropriated and further developed by the selected candidate. It is designed as a springboard toward a four-year doctoral fellowship, to be obtained through FNRS (or other) funding.
Description of the research project
Since the publication of A Theory of Justice (Rawls 1971), theories of justice have become a central field of research in normative political philosophy (Kymlicka 2002) and welfare economics (Fleurbaey 1996). Rawls defined distributive justice as "the fair distribution of the benefits and burdens of social cooperation", a definition that has since gained wide acceptance. However, the majority of post-Rawlsian theories of justice have neglected the question of the fair distribution of burdens. Rawls himself had little to say on the matter, focusing instead on the distribution of “primary social goods” (rights, liberties, income, wealth, and the social bases of self-respect), which are typically understood as benefits rather than burdens. He only briefly addressed the distribution of burdens in his discussions of fair taxation (§43) and intergenerational economic development (§44). Moreover, as illustrated by his famous objection to subsidizing Malibu surfers (Rawls 1993: 224; Van Parijs 1991), he appeared to assume that all individuals contribute to social cooperation through the burden of employment.
Aside from taxation and climate change, employment is one of the few areas where the fair distribution of burdens has been addressed within theories of justice. A contributive obligation, for example, has often been proposed in response to the idea of an unconditional basic income (White 2003; Olson 2020). While often framed as a matter of reciprocity, such an obligation can also be interpreted as a requirement of fairness in the distribution of burdens. This is further evidenced in feminist literature that critiques the unequal distribution of domestic labor (Okin 1989) and, more broadly, of social reproduction labor (Bhattacharya 2017).
Nevertheless, while a normative principle of equal burden-sharing may seem intuitive in domestic settings—despite the persistent inequalities observed in most heterosexual couples—it appears less so in the domain of employment. Unlike partners in a standard couple (setting aside issues of disability), citizens are far from equal in terms of employment opportunities. Some enjoy greater access to secure and fulfilling jobs, while others are confined to precarious and arduous work. Given the heterogeneity of jobs, the implications of equality of burdens are complex and insufficiently explored in current literature, which lacks detailed analyses of the different dimensions of burdens and clear criteria to determine principles of justice across various contexts.
Objectives and Hypotheses
This PhD project aims to address this gap by evaluating and comparing various principles of fair burden-sharing. The goal is to articulate robust principles of justice and explore their practical implications in several domains of economic, social, and political ethics. In addition to employment and care work (including emotional and mental burdens), other relevant domains include: taxation, where proportional and progressive principles compete; climate change, which imposes vastly unequal burdens on nations and social groups (André & Gosseries 2024); political burdens, which were subject to principles of random distribution and rotation in ancient Athens (Manin 1995), and remain relevant today in the selection of jurors or electoral officials.
Depending on the candidate's interests, three case studies will be selected from these examples. These will serve to test, refine, or reject the principle of equal burden-sharing, which will be compared to competing principles such as:
- Distribution according to ability (following Marx's formulation—Gilabert 2023, ch. 3),
- Distribution according to privilege and power (Young 2011),
- Distribution based on historical responsibility (Bessone 2019).
The central hypothesis to be tested is that the principle of equal burden-sharing is particularly suited to symmetrical relationships, but must be revised in the context of asymmetrical relationships, and in the face of highly heterogeneous burdens. It may be relevant to consider differences in abilities and responsibilities. Moreover, the benefits of the division of labor and specialization—which often conflict with strict equality of burdens, especially in employment—must be factored in, possibly giving rise to compensatory mechanisms for unequal burdens.
References
- André, P., & Gosseries, A. (2024). La justice climatique. PUF.
- Bhattacharya, T. (2017) (ed.). Social reproduction theory: Remapping class, recentering oppression. Pluto Press.
- Bessone, M. (2019). Faire justice de l’irréparable. Esclavage colonial et responsabilités contemporaines. Vrin
- Fleurbaey, M. (1996). Théories économiques de la justice. Economica.
- Gilabert, P. (2023). Human dignity and social justice. Oxford University Press.
- Kymlicka, W. (2002). Contemporary political philosophy: An introduction. Oxford University Press.
- Manin, B. (1995). Principes du gouvernement représentatif. Calmann-Lévy.
- Olson, K. A. (2020). The solidarity solution: Principles for a fair income distribution. Oxford University Press.
- Okin, S. M. (1989). Justice, gender, and the family. Basic Books.
- Rawls, J. (1971). A Theory of Justice. Harvard University Press.
- Rawls, J. (1993). Political Liberalism. Columbia University Press.
- Van Parijs, P. (1991). 'Why Surfers Should be Fed: The Liberal Case for an Unconditional Basic Income'. Philosophy & Public Affairs, 101-131.
- White, S. G. (2003). The civic minimum: On the rights and obligations of economic citizenship. Oxford University Press.
- Young, I. M. (2011). Responsibility for justice. Oxford University Press.
Where to apply
E-mail [email protected]
Requirements
Research Field Philosophy
Education Level Master Degree or equivalent
Research Field Political sciences » Other
Education Level Master Degree or equivalent
Skills/Qualifications
- Master's degree (by September 2025) in philosophy or political science (with a political theory orientation), awarded with distinction and with an average grade offering a reasonable chance of success for FNRS funding
- Strong knowledge of theories of distributive justice
- Demonstrated interest in feminist theories
- Analytical writing skills (clarity and argumentative rigor)
- Proficiency in either English or French (C1 level expected in at least one of the two languages)
Languages ENGLISH
Level Good
Research Field Philosophy » Ethics
Additional Information
Benefits
The selected candidate will be hosted at the Hoover Chair of Economic and Social Ethics at UCLouvain and will work under the supervision of Pierre-Étienne Vandamme (principal investigator), who will assist in securing longer-term funding via the FNRS.
- Salary: around €2,470 netto per month
- Research budget: €5,000 over two years for IT equipment and travel (e.g., conferences abroad)
- Travel costs: Public transport to the workplace from within Belgium is covered
Eligibility criteria
Master's degree (by September 2025) in philosophy or political science (with a political theory orientation), awarded with distinction and with an average grade offering a reasonable chance of success for FNRS funding
Selection process
Required documents (as a single PDF):
- 1–2 page motivation letter
- Detailed CV including:
1) Degrees and current studies
2) Research topics covered during studies
3) Grade point average
4) Email address of an academic referee who might be contacted about the application - Copy of academic degree(s) and transcripts
- A sample of written work (published or submitted for coursework), in English, French, Dutch, Spanish, or Italian
To be sent to: [email protected]
All questions regarding the position may be directed to the same address.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an online interview between August 25–29, 2025.
All other applicants will be notified of the outcome by August 22.
Work Location(s)
Number of offers available 1
Company/Institute UCLouvain
Country Belgium
City Louvain-la-Neuve
Postal Code 1348
Contact
City Louvain-la-Neuve
Website http://www.uclouvain.be
Postal Code 1348
E-Mail [email protected]
