Silvia Jonas

Silvia Jonas is a Junior Professor of Philosophy at the Otto-Friedrich University of Bamberg, where she is affiliated with the Institute for Classical Philology and Philosophy within the Faculty of Humanities and Cultural Studies. She has held this position since 2022, following postdoctoral appointments at the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy (MCMP) of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich (2017-2022) and at the Polonsky Academy of the Van Leer Institute and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2012-2017).

Dr. Jonas's educational background includes a doctorate in Philosophy from Humboldt University of Berlin (2010-2012), a Master in Philosophy (BPhil) from the University of Oxford (2008-2010), a Master of Arts in Philosophy (MLitt) from the University of St Andrews (2007-2008), and a Master's degree in Political Science, Philosophy, and Religious Studies from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (2002-2007).

Her research program centers on three fundamental questions: how mathematics shapes our understanding of reality, whether reality extends beyond what can be scientifically measured, and if there can be knowledge beyond the limits of language. These inquiries manifest in interconnected research areas examining mathematical analogies across meta-empirical domains, the justification for ontological commitment to non-spatiotemporal objects, and the possibility of non-propositional forms of knowledge in aesthetic, religious, and philosophical experiences.

Dr. Jonas's scholarly contributions include the monograph 'Ineffability and its Metaphysics' (2016) and numerous peer-reviewed articles exploring connections between mathematical, moral, and religious realism. Her publication pattern shows consistent output in top philosophy journals with a focus on metaphysical questions at the intersection of mathematics, ethics, and theology.

• Karl-Heinz Hoffmann-Prize (2023) from the Bavarian Academy of Sciences

Dr. Jonas maintains multiple professional affiliations including external membership at the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy and association with the Konstanz Center for Philosophy of Mathematics. She serves on the Board of Trustees of the Martin Buber Society of Fellows and as a trusted advisor for the Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk. Starting in 2026, she will assume the role of vice-president of the German Society for Analytic Philosophy.

Committed to public engagement, Dr. Jonas has participated in prominent philosophy events including the World Science Festival in New York, the HowtheLightGetsIn Festival, and media appearances with Deutsche Welle and the 'Closer to Truth' documentary series, making complex philosophical ideas accessible to broader audiences.