Division of Contemporary Culture Department of Philosophy and History of Science

The Department of Philosophy and History of Science examines the question “What is science?” from philosophical and historical points of view. The philosophy of science deepens our understanding of science through consideration of proper scientific methodologies and analyses of fundamental concepts used in the discipline (such as ‘space’ in physics or ‘natural selection’ in evolutionary biology).

The history of science elucidates aspects of science by investigating temporal changes in scientific theories and the relationship between science and society in different periods and regions. The teaching staff of the department represents the two disciplines, i.e., one is a philosopher of science and the other a historian of science, allowing students to see the sciences from multiple perspectives.

Since the object of our research is science, it is necessary for students to have concrete knowledge in scientific disciplines. However, even though we use the singular science, there is in fact great diversity within the sciences, from physics to biology to social sciences, and sometimes mathematics. Thus, students will acquire knowledge in the field of their greatest interest, getting advice from teachers and senior students.

There are various closely related fields to the philosophy and history of science. One of these is the burgeoning discipline of Science, Technology and Society (STS), which examines various aspects of the relationship between science and technology on the one hand and science and society on the other, as in science communication and public decision making on science and technology. Undergraduate students in this department are also allowed to choose their research topics from STS.