History and Philosophy of Science

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History and Philosophy of Science
General
• Submitting deans:
- prof.dr. Wiljan van den Akker (Humanities)
- prof.dr. Albert Cornelissen (Veterinary Medicine)
- prof.mr. Adriaan Dorresteijn (Law, Economics & Governance)
- prof.dr. Willem Koops (Social and Behavioural Sciences)
- prof.dr. Gerard van Koten (Science)
- prof.dr. Hans Stoof (University Medial Centre)
- prof.dr. Bert van der Zwaan (Geosciences)
• Participating research foci:
- all chairs in the field of history and philosophy of science. Furthermore:
- History of Reception and Edition of Texts (Humanities)
- History and Foundations of Science (Science)
- Cultural Infrastructure and Intellectual Culture in the Modern Age (Humanities)
- Logic, Meaning and Cognition (Humanities)
Scientific core of the focus area
History and Philosophy of Science aims at bringing together: 1) the study of foundational and
methodological problems in the exact sciences, social sciences and humanities, and their
conceptual evolution, 2) the comparative analysis of the historical evolution of scholarly and
scientific cultures. These goals are brought together in order to promote the integration of the
historical, philosophical and sociological approaches in the history and philosophy of science and
thereby the comparative study of these various branches of learning.
In recent years the history of the sciences and the humanities has developed from a history of men
and their ideas into a history of the evolution of scholarly and scientific cultures. This approach is
based on the conviction that scientific growth cannot be understood without a thorough knowledge
of the social and cultural context science and scholarship originate in, and that the analysis of the
production of scientific and scholarly ideas is incomplete without the study of their dissemination
and reception. A history of the evolution of scientific cultures studies scientific development, not as
the natural product of the universality of science and scholarship, but as the result of the
continuous battle between rivalling claims, between actors and institutions and their capacities and
resources in ever expanding networks, the outcome of which varies according to time and place.
This novel approach requires a comparative and interdisciplinary perspective.
At the same time, it remains true that science cannot be understood without a detailed study of its
content, methodology and concepts. Developments within science continuously give rise to new
conceptual problems and foundational questions, whose study in turn influences scientific
development. Such methodological and conceptual investigations, emanating from a scrutiny of
science itself, are obviously important for the philosophy of science. In general, the philosophy of
science has recently seen a change from very general, often normative, meta-considerations to an
approach on particular case studies. This provides a natural link to the just-mentioned historical
approach, because specific scientific theories are situated in their philosophical, ideological and
social contexts. By this approach it can be brought to light, e.g., what is presupposed in a
particular theory without any assumption that all scientific disciplines fall under one methodological
or conceptual scheme.
Positioning
This focus can build on an excellent tradition of scholarship. Utrecht University is the only Dutch
university which can boast the unique constellation of an Institute for the History and Foundations
of Science (with two chairs, one in Philosophy and Foundations of Science and the other in History
of Science), two chairs in History of Philosophy, a chair in Logic and Philosophy of Mathematics,
chairs in History of Mathematics, History of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University History,
History of Psychiatry, History and Philosophy of Law, History and Philosophy of Theology and
History of Pharmaceutics (while chairs in History of the Humanities, the History of the Social
Sciences and the History of the Geo-Sciences are in the making). Moreover, Utrecht has a long
tradition in studying philosophy of science, not as a general and normative discipline, but as
foundational research conducted in close connection with particular disciplines (foundations of
physics, philosophy of mathematics, artificial intelligence, linguistics, etc). Historical studies in
Utrecht distinguish themselves by their comparative perspective and their interdisciplinary
approach based on the conviction that the complex historical interaction between scholarly and
social and cultural issues, it is necessary to reintegrate the body of knowledge and methods of the
various disciplines in the history of the sciences and the humanities. Finally, the research programs
that form the basis of this focus are linked with research master programs in philosophy, history
and philosophy of science, and comparative studies in the history of science and the humanities
(History and Philosophy of Science as well as in Historical and Comparative Studies of the Sciences
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and Humanities).
It is against this background that the University has launched an interdisciplinary institute,
baptized the Descartes Centre, for the history and philosophy of sciences. This Descartes Centre
will constitute the natural platform for the focus group History and Philosophy of Science and its
activities. It will facilitate organizational matters and secure a fruitful link between research and
teaching at both undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also within the general context of this
new Descartes Centre that the two master programs History and Philosophy of Science and
Historical and Comparative Studies of the Sciences and Humanities will be integrated and,
eventually, merged. Conversely, the focus group may be regarded as the ‘backbone’ of the
Descartes Centre as a whole.
As far as the philosophy and foundations of science are concerned, few institutions can compete
Utrecht University. Paris (CREA and IHPST taken together) is more or less comparable to Utrecht,
other European institutes (e.g., Brussels, Louvain-la-Neuve, Budapest, Bonn, Florence, Rome,
Barcelona, Madrid, Bristol, Leeds, London) are definitely smaller. In the history of mathematics
mention should be made of the unique cooperation between this focus and various institutions in
the Islamic world, especially in Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Valorisation
Philosophy and foundations of science are not only essential in deepening and broadening scientific
reflection, but also have wider social relevance to what is called ‘knowledge-economy’. Moreover,
the ongoing debate on the impact of science and ‘enlightenment’ call for an informed contribution.
Finally, there is a feedback to science itself: e.g., several recent advances in physics originate in
foundational considerations.
In contemporary society science and scholarship or representations of it very much determine the
way politicians, citizens and administrators conceptualize their worlds. As a result, reflection on
issues such as the methods and foundations of science, the role of its cultural and political context,
the structures of its dissemination and the function of its rhetoric is indispensable, not only in the
academic and scholarly community but also in the world beyond. For instance, this is acknowledged
by the Royal Academy (KNAW) which until now has provided funding and stimuli for a great variety
of (publishing) projects in the history of science (cf. Rapport Raad voor de Geesteswetenschappen
Leerstoelen op het gebied van de geschiedenis van de verschillende disciplines, 2005). This type of
support originates in the conviction that the history and philosophy of science provide an
indispensable reservoir of knowledge and case-studies that assist the KNAW in performing its role
as one of the nation’s chief guardians of the breadth, level and quality of Dutch science and
scholarship. In addition, a growing number of third parties such as hospitals, scientific societies,
university departments and the occasional business company has commissioned a good number of
studies in the field of the history of science. Cooperation has been established with researchers at
prominent partner institutions such as the Huygens Instituut (KNAW) in The Hague, the Philosophy
Centre at the University of Oxford, the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at the
University of Pittsburgh, the History Department at UCLA, and the Institut Alexandre Koyre in
Paris.
In the future these existing contacts and relations need to be put on a firmer basis. Moreover, as
national and EU governmental agencies (The Lisbon Agreement, Innovatieplatform) aim at a more
extensive control of the development of science in order the achieve a higher level of European
competitiveness, an additional role for this focus and the Descartes Centre presents itself. Its
comparative and interdisciplinary research of the dynamism of the development, dissemination,
reception and application of scholarly and scientific innovations in the past supplies valuable
insights that can serve to support the introduction of more successful innovative policies in the
future. As a result, closer relationships with the Economic and Educational Ministries need to be
established.
The focus area can apply for means in various NWO programmes:
- Culturele Dynamiek (NWO).
- NWO FOCUS project INFINITY, infinite Objects, computation, modelling and reasoning
(http://fspc282.few.vu.nl/infinity/index.php/Main_Page).
- Dutch-Russian cooperation program NWO/RFBR Logical models of human and mechanical
reasoning.
- Negotiations are presently going on with the European Science Foundation to establish a
European Program in the Philosophy and Foundations of Science.
Key figures
This focus on History and Philosophy of Science differs from the other university foci in that its
mass is small. On the other hand its focus is new as it stresses interdisciplinarity and systematic
comparisons, encompasses in principle all branches of science and recruits its members from all
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seven Faculties at Utrecht University. It occupies a unique position in the Netherlands and has the
potential to develop into one of the chief innovative centres for the history and philosophy of
science and scholarship in Europe.
• Participating research groups
‘Cultural infrastructure and intellectual culture in the modern age’, ‘History and foundations of
science’, ‘History of reception and edition of texts’, ‘Logic, meaning and cognition’.
Daarnaast participeren in dit foci eveneens alle leerstoelen op het gebied van
wetenschapsgeschiedenis en wetenschapsfilosofie uit andere onderzoeksgroepen van de UU.
Recent results in quality assessment:
History and Foundations of Science (Bètawetenschappen, 2003)
quality >4; productivity 3,5; relevance 4,5; prospects 4,5
Cultural Infrastructure and Intellectual Culture in the Modern Age (GW, 2005)
quality 3,75; productivity 3,25; relevance 4,5; prospects 4,5
Hierbij dient te worden opgemerkt dat de visitatiecommissie met name de groep die zich bezig
houdt met wetenschapsgeschiedenis hoog acht en Utrecht op dit gebied beschouwt als vernieuwer.
History of Reception and Edition of Texts (GW, 2005)
quality 5; productivity 5; relevance 5; prospects 5
Logic, Meaning and Cognition (GW, 2005)
quality 5; productivity 5; relevance 5; prospects 4
Deze groep wordt hier opgenomen met name vanwege het grondslagenonderzoek van de logici.
● Professors involved
- Prof.dr. Keimpe Algra (Geesteswetenschappen/Wijsbegeerte)
- Prof.dr.H.F.Cohen (Geschiedenis en Kunstgeschiedenis/Geesteswetenschappen)
- Prof.dr. Dennis Dieks (Betawetenschappen, Natuurkunde)
- Prof.dr. Leen Dorsman (Geesteswetenschappen/Letteren)
- Prof.dr.D.M.Grube (Godgeleerdheid/Geesteswetenschappen)
- Prof.dr. Ton Hol (REBO/Rechtsgeleerdheid)
- Prof.dr. Frank Huisman (Geneeskunde)
- Prof.dr. Jan Hogendijk (Betawetenschappen, Wiskunde)
- Prof.dr. Willem Koops (Sociale wetenschappen)
- Prof.dr. Peter Koolmees (Geneeskunde/Diergeneeskunde)
- Prof.dr. Frans van Lunteren (Betawetenschappen/Natuurkunde)
- Prof.dr. Wijnand Mijnhardt (Geesteswetenschappen/Letteren)
- Prof.dr.J.M.van Ophuijsen (departement Wijsbegeerte/Geesteswetenschappen)
- Prof.dr. Toine Pieters (Betawetenschappen/Farmacie)
- Prof.dr.M.Sarot (departement Godgeleerdheid/Geesteswetenschappen)
- Prof.dr.P.L.M.Steenbakkers (departement Wijsbegeerte/Geesteswetenschappen)
- Prof.dr. Sandra Schruijer (REBO/Utrecht School of Governance)
- Prof.dr. Bert Theunissen (Betawetenschappen/Natuurkunde)
- Prof.dr. Theo Verbeek (Geesteswetenschappen/Wijsbegeerte)
- Prof.dr. Joost Vijselaar (Geesteswetenschappen/Geneeskunde)
- Prof.dr. Albert Visser (Geesteswetenschappen/Wijsbegeerte)
Within the faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences position will become available within the
scope of this focus area. Part of them concerns the history and foundations of the education and
development of children and adolescents.
● Research capacity in full time equivalents and budget (K-euro)
‘Cultural Infrastructure and Intellectual Culture in the Modern Age’ - research capacity
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
direct funding 5.81 5.39 4.55 4.2 3.71
research
grants
1.61 1.05 1.19 1.05 1.26
contract
research
2.66 1.61 1.19 0.84 1.05
Totaal 10.08 8.05 6.93 6.09 6.02
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‘Cultural Infrastructure and Intellectual Culture in the Modern Age’ – budget (K-euro)
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
direct funding 363 337 284 263 232
research
grants
100 65 74 65 78
contract
research
160 97 71 50 63
Totaal 623 499 429 378 373
‘History of Reception and Edition of Texts’ en ‘Logic, Meaning and Cognition’ - research capacity
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
direct funding 6.0 6.3 7.4 6.5 6.0
research
grants
1.4 2.1 0.5 0.5 1.8
contract
research
- - - - -
Totaal 7.4 8.4 7.9 7.0 7.8
‘History of Reception and Edition of Texts’ en ‘Logic, Meaning and Cognition’ – budget (K-euro)
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
direct funding 378 404 472 429 395
research
grants
56.7 85.1 20.3 20.3 78
contract
research
- - - - -
Totaal 435 489 492 449 473
History and Foundations of Science - research capacity
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
direct funding 3.0 2.9 2.6 3.5 3.8
research
grants
2.2 2.2 0.5 0.4 1.1
contract
research
1 1.0
Totaal 6.2 6.1 3.1 3.9 4.9
History and Foundations of Science – budget (K-euro)
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
direct funding 262 324 342 294 327
research
grants
p.m. 62 77 30 53
contract
research
30 54 52 69 32
Totaal 292 440 471 393 412
● Personal grants at the Dutch research foundations / Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences
This table shows grants exclusively acquired in the field of history and philosophy of sciences.
Participants in the focus area have also acquired grants in other fields of research.
Above that the table only shows grants acquired by one of the three participating research groups.
- NWO-project: prof.dr Th. Verbeek, Towards a new edition of Descartes.
- NWO-project: prof.dr Th. Verbeek, Descartes and his network.
- NWO-project: prof.dr. K. Algra, Stoicism in Context.
- NWO-project: prof.dr. J. Hogendijk, History of Mathematics and Astronomy.
- NWO-prioriteitsprogramma: prof.dr. W. Mijnhardt, Nederlandse Cultuur in Europese Contekst.
- NWO-vervangingssubsidie: dr. E. Jonker, Geschiedenis op het snijvlak van moraal, politiek en
wetenschap.
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- NWO-programma: Culturele vernieuwing en de grondslagen van de geesteswetenschappen: dr.
E. Jonker, Re-vitalizing the humanities.
- NWO programma: Culturele vernieuwing en de grondslagen van de geesteswetenschappen:
prof.dr. Dorsman, Het statuut van de Letterenfaculteit.
- NWO-FOCUS project: INFINITY, infinite Objects, computation, modeling and reasoning: prof.dr.
A. Visser. Other participants VU, CWI (http://fspc282.few.vu.nl/infinity/index.php/Main_Page).
- Dutch-Russian cooperation program NWO/RFBR project: Logical models of human and
mechanical reasoning, prof.dr. A. Visser.
- Vernieuwingsimpuls Vidi: dr. F. Muller, Wat ontdekt de natuurwetenschap?
- Vernieuwingsimpuls Veni: dr. J. van Dongen, Einstein versus experiment en de geschiedenis van
de quantumtheorie.
• Other measures of esteem
This table shows measures of esteem in relation to the field of history and philosophy of sciences.
Participants in the focus area have also acquired grants in other fields of research.
Above that the table only shows measures of esteem related to one of the three participating
research groups.
- Members KNAW: prof.dr. W. Mijnhardt, prof.dr. K. Algra, prof.dr. Th. Verbeek, prof.dr. A. Visser.
- Bijzondere leerstoel KNAW: prof.dr. B. Theunissen.
- EU Marie Curie fellowship: dr. A. Afriat.
- Getty Research Institute Los Angeles: prof.dr. W. Mijnhardt, At the cutting edge of religion and
cosmopolitanism: Bernard Picarts Céremonies et Coutumes Religieuses de Tous les Peuples du
Monde (1723 -1743) and the European Enlightenment.
- ESF-Network Philosophy and Foundations of Physics.
- The University Board singled out the program for the History and Foundations of Science for
special consideration and protection (resulting in awarding so-called ‘pareltjesgeld’ funding).
- High potential programme: dr. T. Tieleman, Habent Sua Fata Libell (project on the relation
between Christianity and the Hellenic world).
- Prof.dr. F. van Lunteren: Professor of the History of Science at the Free University of Amsterdam
(0.4 fte).
- Prof.dr. J. Hogendijk. Professor of History of Mathematics at Leiden University (0,2); Adjunct
Professor of History of Mathematics at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran,
Saudi Arabia.
- The Utrecht Institute for History and Foundations of Science is the home of the most prestigious
international journal in the field: History and Philosophy of Modern Physics (Elsevier). (prof.dr. D.
Dieks and dr. J. Uffink, editors). Prof.dr. D. Dieks is also Editor (together with prof.dr. M. Redei)
of the Elsevier book series Philosophy and Foundations of Physics. Prof.dr. K. Algra is editor of
Phronesis and of the book series Philosophia Antiqua (Leiden: Brill). Prof.dr. Th. Verbeek is editor
of the Journal of the History of Philosophy and the British Journal of the History of Philosophy.
- Einstein studies (Critical edition of Einstein’s Collected Works): dr. J. van Dongen.