Reader query on M&E jobs

In the comments section of our most recent "how can we help you?" post, a reader writes:

I have a question about AOSs for job searches. I've noticed that it's extremely common to see the following listed under the desired AOS in job adverts: 'Metaphysics and Epistemology'. Does this mean the department are looking for someone who does metaphysics and epistemology? Or are they as happy with someone who does metaphysics but not epistemology, or epistemology but not metaphysics?

For example, one often seems something like this: AOS: Ethics or Philosophy of Science or Metaphysics and Epistemology. This suggests that pure metaphysicians or epistemologists won't be considered. But if that's so, then this drastically reduces the number of jobs out there for people like me, who do only one of the two.

Should I be looking to quickly add metaphysics to my AOSs, since epistemology is currently my major AOS?

Good question - I've often wondered about listings like this too. How should jod adverts like this be read? 

Comments

[Daniel]

And = or

[Damn it's Monday]

Yeah, you would think a department interested in M&E would have a basic understanding of Boolean connectors, but then they may be looking for someone in M&E for a reason.

[Carrie]

What about jobs in Social and Political Philosophy? Should I understand those in the same way as M&E?

[Sara L. Uckelman]

I would totally write the contact given in the ad and ask. I doubt there is any uniformly applicable rule.

[Al]

Sometimes one also sees “metaphysics and epistemological broadly construed”. I take this kind of posting as well as the one under question to pretty much mean the same thing – namely that the department wants someone broadly in the M and E areas. I applied to (and got) such a job as someone with an AOS in mind and language. Given how few jobs there are out there I think that if one works in metaphysics, epistemology, mind, language, logic, or something else in the neighborhood I would apply to such jobs. I would certainly try to make clear that I am ready and willing to teach in both metaphysics and epistemology and I think unless someone is really being overly strict with ‘ability to teach’, a person working in one of the areas I mentioned probably could cover teaching in the other ones as well given a bit of time to prep. There is a good chance that people in the department have some more particular preference but it seems like a bad idea to me to cut your chances shorter than they already are. I think it is a waste of time if you are working in metaphysics to apply for something in, say, bioethics if you don’t know a thing about it, but in general I think one should apply to anything that is feasible. That’s of course not very good for people on the other end of the table if people stare really stretching too thin, but you’ve got to give yourself every feasible chance.