School of History and Philosophy of Science

Placing science in its historical and social context

At the crossroads of arts and science, we examine past and current developments in all areas of science, technology and medicine from a range of humanistic perspectives.

History and philosophy of science (HPS) is an ideal way to critically engage with science and its social and cultural significance. Any student with a genuine interest in science will derive benefit from the study of this discipline.

Teaching at the School of History and Philosophy of Science

Teaching staff in the School of History and Philosophy of Science have published widely in their fields of expertise and have gained international recognition for their research. This makes them fantastic educators, sharing their knowledge and experiences in the classroom so students can be at the forefront of innovations in the field.

The University of Sydney is ranked first in Australia and fifth in the world for graduate employability.* This stems from our immersive, research-led teaching which prepares students for the real-world and a successful career.

*QS Graduate Employability Rankings, 2019.

Study area_

Study with us

Study science in its historical, philosophical and social contexts and examine how science differs from other forms of knowledge

Research_

Our research

Our research is broad reaching and encourages students to pursue research in areas that may include medicine and society, early modern science or history and technology to name a few.

News bites

Professor Eveleen Richards Awarded 2019 HPS Medal from the Royal Society of NSW

Eveleen Richards HPS Honorary and Author of Darwin and the Making of Sexual Selection

has been awarded 2019 HPS Medal Royal Society of NSW

2020 Sydney HPS Winter School on Evolutionary Medicine 27-32 July 2020

Both history and philosophy of science have the potential to contribute to a deeper understanding of the nature and potential of Evolutionary Medicine. Some philosophers of science have examined key concepts in the field. Others have debated its potential to inform medical practice, or to transform understanding of health and disease. These debates will be explored and advanced at the Winter School. The overall aim of the Winter School is to encourage and enable philosophical and methodological commentary on evolutionary medicine, and to develop an agenda for research on evolutionary medicine by historians of science and medicine.

The Winter School will be of interest to early career researchers in history and philosophy of science, as well as to ECRs in medicine and biomedical science who want a broader perspective on Evolutionary Medicine.

Confirmed instructors:

* Randolph M. Nesse (Arizona State University) *Tatjana Buklijas (University of Auckland) *Paul Griffiths (The University of Sydney) *Dominic Murphy (The University of Sydney) * Djuke Veldhuis (Monash University)\

For all enquiries please email philosophy.tmb@sydney.edu.au

Professor Peter Godfrey- Smith Awarded 2019 Patrick Suppes Prize

Our own Prof. Godfrey-Smith has been awarded the American Philosophical Society 2019 Patrick Suppes Prize in recognition of his book Other Minds: The Octopus and the Evolution of Intelligent Life. He was awarded the prize at the APS Autumn Meeting on November 8, 2019.

The Patrick Suppes Prize honors accomplishments in three deeply significant scholarly fields to him, with the prize rotating each year between philosophy of science, psychology or neuroscience, and history of science. The Patrick Suppes Prize in the Philosophy of Science is awarded for an outstanding book in philosophy of science appearing within the preceding six years.

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