How are scientific theories developed? Do values affect science and do scientific theories influence social values? What is the role of science and technology in a democratic society? These are some of the questions that historians and philosophers of science examine. Courses in the philosophy of science engage with the structure of science, its methods, and its special claims to the production of knowledge. Courses in the history of science and technology situate scientific advances in their cultural and socio-economic context.

Students taking HPS courses deepen their understanding of major ideas in science; they learn to think critically about the past and present role of science in human societies, and they improve their skills in oral presentation and debate, research, and writing.

Students pursuing History and Philosophy of Science and Technology programs will be ideally suited to any professional or academic context that requires an understanding of science, science in society, and the relation between the sciences and the humanities.