History and Philosophy of Science

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology
The Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IHPST) is a graduate studies and research institute offering MA and PhD degrees. The main areas of faculty expertise are: history of medicine and biological sciences, history of mathematics and physical sciences, history of technology, general philosophy of science, philosophy of biology, philosophy of medicine, philosophy of physics and philosophy of mathematics

About IHPST
The Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IHPST) was founded in 1967. It is a graduate studies and research institute offering MA and PhD degrees. IHPST also offers undergraduate courses. It has 13 core faculty and 23 affiliated faculty, all of whom have approval to supervise PhD thesis work. The main areas of faculty expertise are: history of medicine and biological sciences, history of mathematics and physical sciences, history of technology, general philosophy of science, philosophy of biology, philosophy of medicine, philosophy of physics and philosophy of mathematics. The editorial offices of two leading journals in the history of science are housed at IHPST: Annals of Science and Historica Mathematica. IHPST faculty, staff and graduate students occupy the third floor of Victoria College. The approximately 40 graduate students have study carrels and a common room lounge on that floor and have available computers, a printer and flatbed scanner, and wireless access for laptop use. Faculty and students benefit from the incredible resources of the University of Toronto including access to a wide range of graduate courses offered by 28 Arts and Science departments and access to the library resources of a library system ranked third behind Harvard and Stanford universities (Association of Research Libraries ranking). IHPST has a biweekly colloquium series and organises a least one conference a year.

What is HPS about?
The history and philosophy of science and technology is a discipline that cuts across the sciences and humanities. HPS courses treat science and mathematics, medicine, and technology as: historically significant in themselves, integral components of the general development of knowledge, culture, and society and conceptually and theoretically rich domains for philosophical analysis. Graduate and undergraduate courses explore these various features, and, in so doing, provide a wider context for the understanding of science and its applications. Many courses have a substantial historical component, others deal with philosophical, economic, or social issues and some combine these elements. Students taking courses that focus on the history of science will find that the material is an important component of cultural and intellectual history. Students taking courses in history of technology will find the material especially relevant to understanding economic or social history. Students taking courses in philosophy of science will explore the concepts, theoretical underpinnings and methodology of the sciences - an exploration that will enrich their understanding of the nature of science and its current dominance as a means of gaining knowledge.