The Centre for History and Philosophy of Science is a research centre devoted to the historical and philosophical study of science, technology and medicine, based in the School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science, at the

University of Leeds , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

, England. The Centre – previously known as the Division of History and Philosophy of Science, which was founded in 1956 – is one of the oldest units of its kind in the world. Throughout its history, the Centre has been home to many of the leading historians and philosophers of science who have deepened our understanding of scientific activity and how it shapes and is shaped by wider society.

History

The key figure in establishing

history and philosophy of science The history and philosophy of science (HPS) is an academic discipline that encompasses the philosophy of science and the history of science. Although many scholars in the field are trained primarily as either historians or as philosophers, there ...

(HPS) as a discipline at Leeds was the philosopher of science Stephen Toulmin, who was appointed Professor of Philosophy at Leeds in 1954 and head of department in 1956. Whilst

Thomas Kuhn Thomas Samuel Kuhn (; July 18, 1922 – June 17, 1996) was an American philosopher of science whose 1962 book '' The Structure of Scientific Revolutions'' was influential in both academic and popular circles, introducing the term ''paradig ...

is often seen as the founder of the modern field of history and philosophy of science, Toulmin had argued for an integration of philosophy of science and history of science some nine years before Kuhn published his famous work, ''The Structure of Scientific Revolutions''. The distinguished philosophy of science,

Mary Hesse Mary Brenda Hesse FBA (15 October 1924 – 2 October 2016) was an English philosopher of science, latterly a professor in the subject at the University of Cambridge. Biography Mary Hesse was born in Reigate, Surrey, to Ethelbert (Bertie) Thom ...

, who was based at Leeds from 1951-55 as a lecturer in mathematics, was also instrumental in establishing what became the Division of History and Philosophy of Science. One of the earliest PhD students in the division was the historian and author June Goodfield, who graduated in 1959 before a varied career spanning appointments at Wellesley College, Michigan State University, and

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Chartered in 1821 by the United States Congress, GWU is the largest Higher educat ...

. The 1970s saw a period of further expansion of the Division, with the appointments of John Christie, Jonathan Hodge (recipient in 2019 of the distinguished Hull Prize awarded by the ISHPSSB), and Geoffrey Cantor following the arrival of Robert Olby. Olby in particular became a leading figure in the Division, not least through his ground-breaking book, ''Path to the Double Helix'', which showed how the 1953 discoveries of Crick and Watson were rooted in the work of two University of Leeds scientists: the creator of molecular biology,

William Astbury William Thomas Astbury FRS (25 February 1898 – 4 June 1961) was an English physicist and molecular biologist who made pioneering X-ray diffraction studies of biological molecules. His work on keratin provided the foundation for Linus Pauling ...

, and the Nobel prizewinning inventor of

X-ray crystallography X-ray crystallography is the experimental science determining the atomic and molecular structure of a crystal, in which the crystalline structure causes a beam of incident X-rays to diffract into many specific directions. By measuring the angles ...

William Henry Bragg Sir William Henry Bragg (2 July 1862 – 12 March 1942) was an English physicist, chemist, mathematician, and active sportsman who uniquelyThis is still a unique accomplishment, because no other parent-child combination has yet shared a Nob ...

. Cantor, Christie, Hodge, and Olby formed the core of the Division for the following decade, culminating in the joint publication of the major reference text, ''Companion to the History of Modern Science'' (1989), known locally simply as the Leeds ''Companion''. This cemented the reputation of the Division, which made regular further appointments over the following years, before becoming incorporated as a Centre within the School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science in 2013. Since its inception the Centre, now a core part of the broader School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science, has fostered the development of significant figures in history and philosophy of science, including Jerry Ravetz. Major research projects, especially Science in the Nineteenth Century Periodical, Owning and Disowning Invention, the Leeds Genetics Pedagogies Project, and Scientific Realism and the Quantum, have been based in the Centre, with significant collaboration across other research institutions within and beyond the UK.

Degree Programmes

The Centre has a long history of innovation in teaching the history and philosophy of science, particularly in conjunction with other subject areas in both the sciences and the arts and humanities. At undergraduate level the suite# includes Joint Honours degree programmes in history and philosophy of science with history, biology, physics, or philosophy, and a unique programme in Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Thought. At Masters level the MA History of Science, Technology and Medicine is the Centre's flagship programme, and prepares students for a wide range of careers as well as further historical research. The Centre maintains a sizeable cohort of doctoral researchers, and has since 2007 received the largest number of AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Awards of any academic unit in the UK.

Activities

The Centre runs two major seminar series during the academic year, each of which cuts across the broad field of

. The fortnightly HPS Seminar Series features a diverse range of field-leading speakers from within the UK and internationally. Meanwhile the weekly HPS Work-in-progress Seminar Series serves as a testing ground for postgraduate researchers and academic members of the Centre, who showcase their research at various stages of development, from inception of ideas to preparing for publication. Other focal points include regular reading groups, particularly in history and philosophy of biology and the history of technology, and stand-alone conferences. Research in the Centre has been supported by a range of funding bodies, including the AHRC,

UK Research and Innovation UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is a non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom that directs research and innovation funding, funded through the science budget of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Str ...

Wellcome Trust The Wellcome Trust is a charitable foundation focused on health research based in London, in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1936 with legacies from the pharmaceutical magnate Henry Wellcome (founder of one of the predecessors of Glaxo ...

National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National ...

British Academy The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences. It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars spa ...

, and

Leverhulme Trust The Leverhulme Trust () is a large national grant-making organisation in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1925 under the will of the 1st Viscount Leverhulme (1851–1925), with the instruction that its resources should be used to suppo ...

. The Centre has been involved in significant partnership work with science and heritage organisations, including the

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...

-based Thackray Museum of Medicine,

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Women's Engineering Society The Women's Engineering Society is a United Kingdom professional learned society and networking body for women engineers, scientists and technologists. It was the first professional body set up for women working in all areas of engineering, pred ...

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...

, and

National Institute of Agricultural Botany The National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) is a plant science research company based in Cambridge, UK. The NIAB group The NIAB group consists of: * NIAB * NIAB EMR - a horticultural and agricultural research institute at East M ...

Museum and "HPS in 20"

The Museum of the History of Science, Technology and Medicine is a major focal point of research, teaching, and engagement activities. The Museum was formed in 2007 by staff and students in the Centre, and works to preserve and promote the use of scientific artefacts in teaching, research and public engagement. Led by its Director, the Museum maintains and catalogues objects in storage, develops exhibitions and digital materials, runs public events and school visits, and plays a key role in teaching activities for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. With over 20,000 objects and specimens in storage or on display in various locations across campus, the collections are broad-ranging and reflect the historic scientific strengths of the University of Leeds in textiles and colour chemistry, as well as in science education. Particular highlights from within the collection include the Newlyn-Phillips Machine (the only extant prototype of

MONIAC The MONIAC (Monetary National Income Analogue Computer), also known as the Phillips Hydraulic Computer and the Financephalograph, was created in 1949 by the New Zealand economist Bill Phillips to model the national economic processes of the Uni ...

, the hugely influential early computation device), an example of the very early ' Laennec' stethoscope (), Irene Manton's microscope, and

's camera. Across 2016 and 2017 the collections formed the basis of a major series of twenty lectures charting the History and Philosophy of Science in 20 Objects. The lectures featured academic members of staff, postdoctoral and visiting researchers, and postgraduate researchers and provided a synoptic overview of the history and philosophy of science. It has since been reimagined as an online resource for pre-university students with interests in both history and science, technology, and medicine
HPS in 20

Further information

* Graeme Gooday, 'History and Philosophy of Science at Leeds', ''Notes and Records of the Royal Society'' 60 (2006), 183–192.

References

External links

Centre website

HPS Research at Leeds

Current staff and research students within the broader School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science

Undergraduate degree programmes

Postgraduate degree programmes

Research degree programmes
{{authority control Educational institutions established in 1956 Research institutes in West Yorkshire Philosophy institutes History institutes History of science organizations University of Leeds Philosophy of science History organisations based in the United Kingdom 1956 establishments in England