Faculty of Arts

 History and Philosophy of Science

Table of Contents

Subject Lists
    First-year subjects
    Second/third-year subjects
    Third-year subjects
    Third/fourth-year subjects
    Fourth year Honours subjects
    Subjects not offered in 1999
        First-year subjects not offered in 1999
        Second/third-year subjects not offered in 1999
        Third-year subjects not offered in 1999
        Fourth year Honours subjects not offered in 1999

History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) asks questions about the nature of science as an activity, and about the place of science in modern society. For example, how is scientific knowledge established? If science tells the truth, why do scientists sometimes say one thing (for example, that dinosaurs were cold-blooded) and then later say the opposite (dinosaurs were warm-blooded)? Or, when science and religion disagree, which should we believe? Or, can statistics lie? Or, how much influence in society should scientists have?

 1. Prerequisites

There are no specific prerequisites for first year HPS subjects.

For science students, there are no prerequisites for second/third year HPS subjects.

For students in other faculties, the prerequisites for a second/third year HPS subject is usually one first year HPS subject (12.5 points). Students who have done suitable alternative first-year subjects are advised to contact the Department for permission to enrol. Exemptions may also be granted where HPS subjects are taken as part of an approved interdepartmental program with its own entry requirements.

The prerequisite for a third/fourth-year subject in HPS is usually two second/third-year subjects in HPS.

 2. Requirements for a Major

A Major in HPS usually consists of nine 12.5 point subjects, totalling 112.5 points. It comprises:

• Two first-year subjects in HPS (25 points), and;

• Second/third-year subjects in HPS totalling 87.5 points, which must include at least one of the following:

  • 136-052 Science as Practice and Culture

  • 136-054 Controversies in Philosophy of Science

  • 136-055 Approaches to the History of Science

 3. Honours entry

The prerequisite for entry to fourth year Honours in HPS are:

• Completion of all the requirements for the BA, and;

• Completion of a Major in HPS, which includes:

  • at least one second/third year philosophy of science subject, and;

  • at least one second/third year history of science subject

• An average grade of H2B or higher over the second/third-year subjects within the Major.

Entry to Honours must be approved by the HPS Honours coordinator and the Faculty of Arts Honours course adviser.

 4. Honours requirements

 4.1. Pure Honours

Students undertaking pure Honours in HPS must complete:

• 136-063 HPS Honours Thesis (50 points), and;

• Four Honours subjects in HPS (equivalent to 50 points).

 4.2. Combined Honours

Students intending to undertake combined Honours in HPS and another area of study should consult the HPS Honours coordinator about structuring their course.

 5. Further study

A BA with Honours in HPS can lead to Graduate Diplomas, or MA (by coursework, by advanced seminars and shorter thesis, or by research thesis alone) or PhD degrees. Students interested in postgraduate study should collect a copy of our separate postgraduate handbook, and contact the Departmental office to make an appointment to see the postgraduate coordinator.

 6. For more information

History and Philosophy of Science
Ground Floor, Old Arts Building
The University of Melbourne
Parkville Victoria 3052
Tel: +61 3 9344 6556
Email: enquiries@hps.unimelb.edu.au
Web: http://www.hps.unimelb.edu.au

First-year subjects

136-028 History of Astronomy
136-029 Darwinism
136-031 Science, Philosophy and History
136-032 The Ecological History of Humankind

Second/third-year subjects

103-005 Cybersociety: Information Technology, Society and Self
136-034 Science, Life and Mind
136-035 A History of Nature
136-036 Philosophy of Science
136-037 Issues in the Modern Life Sciences
136-038 The Scientific Revolution
136-039 Medicine and Society
136-040 Science, Technology and Society
136-041 Science and Other Traditions
136-043 Controversies in Science
136-044 Current Issues in HPS
136-076 Social Theory and Political Analysis
136-077 Psychoanalysis and Social Theory
161-015 Introduction to Formal Logic

Third-year subjects

136-343 Scientific Controversies (Science)
136-336 Philosophy of Science for Scientists
136-334 Scientific Rationality (Science)
136-344 Current Issues in HPS (Science 3)
136-052 Science as Practice and Culture
136-337 Biotechnology in Modern Society
136-338 The Scientific Revolution (Science 3)
136-340 Science, Technology and Society (Science 3)
136-054 Controversies in Philosophy of Science
136-055 Approaches to the History of Science
136-335 A History of Nature for Scientists

Third/fourth-year subjects

136-062 Directed Study

Fourth year Honours subjects

136-063 HPS Honours Thesis
136-067 Ecology and the Environmental Movement
136-068 Scepticism, Fallibilism and Relativism
136-510 Realism, Relativism and Naturalism
136-511 Genetics in Society
136-082 Imagined Societies
136-070 HPS Research Project
136-071 HPS Advanced Coursework
136-503 Institutions of Australian Science: Historical Perspectives

Subjects not offered in 1999

First-year subjects not offered in 1999

Second/third-year subjects not offered in 1999

Third-year subjects not offered in 1999

Fourth year Honours subjects not offered in 1999

Status:                   Official 1999
Last Modified:            Tuesday October 20 11:47
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Email Enquiries:          Course_Information@registrar.unimelb.edu.au