History and Philosophy of Science

Areas of Specialisation: Research projects can be accommodated in a variety of areas and prospective students should contact the coordinator for assistance with selection of a topic.

The HPS program specialises in the following areas:

• History of the physical sciences;
• Relations of science, philosophy and political thought in the early modern Europe and in the twentieth century;
• History of medicine and the biomedical sciences;
• Metaphysics of scientific realism;
• Epistemic naturalism;
• The idea of ‘Nature' in the context of contemporary environmental and human sciences;
• How science might generatively engage other knowledge traditions;
• Social context of computer-based technologies.

The course consists of a 12 000 word supervised research project (37.5%) and a coursework component of five of the Department's honours and postgraduate level seminars (each weighted 12.5%, and requiring the equivalent of 5000 words each).

The seminars may be chosen from the following:

Students may choose a maximum of two honours subjects in philosophy as electives from the following: