History of the Program

In 2007 the Patrick Suppes Center for the History and Philosophy of Science was reorganized into two divisions, the Logic, Methodology, and Philosophy of Science, and History of Science and Technology. These two divisions, both separately and in cooperation, help to organize and support workshops and conferences, postdoctoral fellows and visiting professors, and senior faculty fellows in order to enrich the study of History and Philosophy of Science at Stanford. The HPS program is grateful for the support of the Suppes Center.

Academically, the HPS program is a collaborative enterprise of the Departments of History and Philosophy. Each department has its own undergraduate and graduate degree program requirements, but these overlap and interact in several ways. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the HPS program, students who come through one department can take courses and work with faculty from an affiliated department. This helps to create a single community of students and faculty, as does the colloquia series, which brings everyone together regularly throughout the year. We offer undergraduate and graduate fellowship funding and we regularly host visiting scholars from around the world.

In 2019 we celebrated the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci with visits and programs by world renowned scholars and experts in Leonardo, and a Green library exhibit entitled Leonardo's library: The World of a Renaissance Reader and an opening reception of over 300 guest in the library rotunda, complete with dance, music and book art, on May 2, 2019. See the article on the exhibit in the Palo Alto newspaper online, May 29, 2019.

In 2014 our students initiated a History of Science Reading group which meets several times each quarter over dinner to discuss various subfields within the History of Science. All who are interested are welcomed to attend.