History and Philosophy of Science and Technology


Faculty List

Associate Professor and Director
E. Jones-Imhotep, BA, PhD (V)

Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies
R. Woods, BA MA, PhD (V)

Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies
D. Walsh, BSc, BA, M Phil, PhD, PhD (V) 

Professors
N. Krementsov, BSc, MSc, PhD (V)
M. Vicedo, BA, MA, PhD, PhD (V)
D. Walsh, BSc, BA, M Phil, PhD, PhD (V)

Associate Professors
B. Baigrie, BA, MA, PhD (V)
J. Berkovitz, BSc, MA, PhD (V)
L. Dacome, BA, M Phil, PhD (V)
Y. Fehige, BSc, BPhil, BTheol, MPhil, MTheol, PhD, PhD (V)
C.-P. Yeang, BS, SM, PhD, Sc D (V)

Assistant Professors
E. Abrams, BS, MA, PhD 
E.K. Burton, BA, AM, PhD (V)
K. Vold, BA, PhD (V)
A. Zakar, MA, MA, MPhil, PhD 

Professors Emeriti
C. Fraser, MA, PhD (V)
B.S. Hall, BA, PhD (V)
P.M.H. Mazumdar, MB, M Tech, PhD (V)
P. Thompson, MA, PhD (V)
M.P. Winsor, M Phil, PhD (V)

Introduction

How are scientific theories developed? How do new technologies emerge and evolve over time? Do values affect science and technology, and do science and technology influence social values? What is the role of science and technology in a democratic society? Are scientific claims to knowledge justified? These are some of the deep questions that historians and philosophers of science and technology 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 philosophy of technology examine the ethical implications and philosophical underpinnings of new technologies and consider how new technologies encourage us to rethink our conceptions of human nature, social justice, and the political order. Courses in the history of science and technology situate scientific and technological advances in their cultural, socio-economic, and political contexts, in the process revealing their relevance to many important matters such as race, gender, equality, diversity, nation-building, empire, colonialism, international relations, conflict, war, peace, health, and sustainability. 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, technology, science and technology in society, and the relation between the sciences, technological developments, and the humanities. 

The Minor programs - both the History and Philosophy of Science minor, and the Science, Technology, and Society minor - are designed to complement a wide range of Major or Specialist programs including those in the sciences, history, philosophy, or any other program for which the combination of sciences - including the natural, social and psychological, engineering, health, mathematical and environmental sciences - technology and the humanities could prove beneficial. The Major program is useful for students considering careers in teaching and education, museum and library work, science writing and editing, law, medicine, government, industry, and other fields where competence in science, technology, and the humanities is valuable.

Website: https://www.ihpst.utoronto.ca/undergraduate

Director of Undergraduate Studies:
Professor Denis Walsh
Email: undergraduate.ihpst@utoronto.ca

Undergraduate Administrator and Advisor (HPS Courses and Programs):
Kathy Howat
Email: academicprograms.ihpst@utoronto.ca 

General Enquiries:
Victoria College, Room 316 (416-978-5397)
ihpst.info@utoronto.ca 

Science, Technology, and Society Program: Victoria College Academic Programs Liaison Officer
Email: vic.academics@utoronto.ca

Follow us on social media - @UofT_IHPST on X (formerly Twitter)Our History and Philosophy of Science Student Union (HPSUS) has a full array of social and intellectual events for students, runs a mentorship program, publishes an undergraduate journal, and hosts an international undergraduate research conference: https://hpsus.sa.utoronto.ca/
 

History and Philosophy of Science and Technology Programs

History and Philosophy of Science and Technology Major (Arts Program) - ASMAJ0667

Enrolment Requirements:

This is an open enrolment program. A student who has completed 4.0 credits may enrol in the program.

Completion Requirements:

Students are encouraged to meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies prior to registering for this program.

(7.0 credits)

First Year (recommended):
0.5 credit from any HPS 100-level courses; up to 1.0 credit at the 100 level will count towards the major.

Higher Years (required):
Additional HPS courses, to a total of 7.0 credits and meeting the following two conditions:

1. At least 1.0 credit at the 200+ level.
2. At least 2.0 credits at the 300+ level, 0.5 of which must be at the 400-level.

JHE353H1, JHE355H1, JPH311H1, PHL245H1, PHL355H1, PHL356H1, or PHL357H1 may also be used in meeting the above two conditions.

History and Philosophy of Science and Technology Minor (Arts Program) - ASMIN0667

Enrolment Requirements:

This is an open enrolment program. A student who has completed 4.0 credits may enrol in the program.

Completion Requirements:

(4.0 credits)

  1. Recommended: 0.5 credit from any HPS 100-level courses. Up to 1.0 credit in HPS courses at the 100-level will be counted towards the minor.
  2. Recommended: at least 0.5 credit from any HPS 200-level courses.
  3. Additional HPS courses to a total of 4.0 credits, with at least 1.0 credit at the 300+level. JHE353H1, JHE355H1, JPH311H1, PHL245H1, PHL356H1, or PHL357H1 may also be used to fulfill this requirement.

Science, Technology, and Society Minor (Arts Program) - ASMIN2743

The Minor in Science, Technology, and Society is an interdisciplinary program that focuses on the different ways science and technology shape modern society and, in turn, how society shapes science and technology. From the food we eat to the way we conceive family relations or our obligations to future generations, our daily practices and our beliefs are increasingly influenced by scientific research and its applications. In turn, politics, public opinion, moral beliefs and cultural practices affect scientific and technological development. Courses in this program address such topics as science and values, science-related policy and politics, ethical uses of technology, scientific revolutions and controversies, modeling and communication of scientific research, and knowledge transfer from research to commercial and societal applications.

Enrolment Requirements:

This is an open enrolment program. A student who has completed 4.0 credits may enrol in the program.

Completion Requirements:

(4.0 credits, no more than 1.0 credit at the 100-level, at least 1.0 credit at the 300+ level)

  1. 0.5 credit from: HPS200H1, HPS202H1, HPS205H1
  2. 1.0 credit from: VIC106H1, VIC107H1, VIC109H1, VIC121H1, VIC122H1, VIC137H1, VIC170Y1, VIC172Y1, VIC206H1, VIC207H1, CRE210H1, CRE235H1, REN242H1, VIC245H1, VIC246H1, CRE247H1, VIC248H1, VIC274H1, VIC301H1, VIC302H1, VIC452H1, REN343H1, CRE335H1, CRE345H1, CRE371H1, VIC377H1, VIC493H1
  3. 1.0 credit from: HPS110H1, HPS206H1, HPS210H1, HPS211H1, HPS212H1, HPS220H1, HPS222H1, HPS240H1, HPS245H1, HPS255H1, HPS260H1, HPS270H1, HPS272H1, HPS307H1, HPS318H1, HPS319H1, HPS324H1, HPS331H1, HPS345H1, HPS346H1, HPS347H1, HPS351H1, HPS354H1, HPS401H1, HPS402H1, HPS420H1, HPS430H1, HPS431H1, HPS440H1, HPS442H1, HPS444H1, HPS450H1, HPS455H1, JPH441H1
  4. An additional 0.5 credit from program requirements (1), (2) and (3) above.
  5. An additional 1.0 credit from program requirements (1), (2) and (3) above and/or from the approved list of cognate courses: ANT204H1, ANT205H1, ANT345H1, ANT357H1, ANT358H1, ANT364H1, BIO220H1, CHC232H1, COG345H1, CSB202H1, CSC300H1, EAS328H1, EEB215H1, ENV200H1, ETH220H1, GGR223H1, GGR251H1, HIS300H1, HIS355H1, HIS423H1, HIS497H1, HMB301H1, JFP450H1, JIG322H1, JGE321H1, PCL389H1, PHL256H1, PHL273H1, PHL281H1, PHL342H1, PHL373H1, PHL377H1, PHL381H1, PHL384H1, PHY202H1, PSY328H1, SOC243H1, SOC250Y1, SOC331H1, SOC356H1, WGS367H1 or another course approved by the program coordinator.

History and Philosophy of Science and Technology Courses

HPS100H1 - Introduction to History and Philosophy of Science and Technology

Hours: 24L/10T

An investigation of some pivotal periods in the history of science with an emphasis on the influences of philosophy on the scientists of the period, and the philosophical and social implications of the scientific knowledge, theory and methodology that emerged.

Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

HPS110H1 - The Science of Human Nature

Hours: 24L/10T

Why do we do what we do? What factors play a role in shaping our personality? What biological and social elements help configure a person's moral and emotional character? In this course, we examine landmark studies that shook standard beliefs about human nature in their time. We analyze those studies in their historical context and discuss their relevance to social, ethical, and policy debates. The studies may include research on obedience, conformity, prejudice, aggression, attachment, empathy, altruism, race and gender stereotypes, happiness, resilience.

Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

HPS120H1 - How to Think about Science

Hours: 24L/10T

This course addresses the nature of science and its importance to our understanding of ourselves. Questions include: What is a science? Is science objective? What is scientific reasoning? Has our conception of science changed through history? How does science shape our moral image? Does science reveal our natures as humans?

Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

HPS200H1 - Science and Values

Hours: 24L

An introduction to issues at the interface of science and society. Including the reciprocal influence of science and social norms, the relation of science and religion, dissemination of scientific knowledge, science and policy. Issues may include: Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Weapons; Genetic Engineering; The Human Genome Project; Climate Change.

Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS202H1 - Technology in the Modern World

Hours: 24L/10T

This course examines the reciprocal relationship between technology and society since 1800 from the perspectives of race, class, and gender. From the role of European imperial expansion in 19th-century industrialization and mechanization to the development of nuclear technology, smartphones, and digital computers in the 20th century, we consider cultural responses to new technologies, and the ways in which technology operates as an historical force in the history of the modern world.

Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS203H1 - Making Sense of Uncertainty

Hours: 24L/12T

This course examines issues of uncertainty in various contexts of science, technology, and society since the 19th century. Topics may include randomized controlled trials, statistical identification of normal and pathological, biopolitics, philosophical interpretations of probability, Brownian motions, uncertainty principle in quantum mechanics, cybernetic mind, and chance in avant-garde arts.

Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

HPS205H1 - Science, Technology, and Empire

Hours: 24L/6T

This gateway course introduces the emergence of modern science and technology and the rise of European mercantile and colonial empires as closely intertwined processes. Beginning with the European discovery of the Americas, this course provides a broad thematic overview of the transformation of scientific practices in imperial contexts, including but not limited to geography and cartography; medical botany and plantation agriculture; biogeography and evolutionary biology; ecology and environmentalism; and race science and anthropology. The course primarily focuses on British and French colonial contexts in South Asia, Africa, Australasia and the Americas, but also considers Iberian, Russian, Dutch, and other imperial formations.

Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

VIC207H1 - Genetic Technologies: Scientific Promises and Ethical Dilemmas

Hours: 24L/12T

This course examines the ethical dilemmas raised by new genetic technologies. It explores the scientific possibilities they open as well as the moral questions they raise. The topics covered might include: Eugenics, the human genome project, behavioral genetics, genetics and race, genetic screening, gene editing and therapy, gene doping in sports, animal and human cloning, and genetic enhancement.

Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS208H1 - How We Think About Life

Hours: 24L/12T

What is the difference between living and non-living things? How should living things be classified? How do various kinds of life relate to each other and to the non-living environment? These are perennial questions, dealt with by every culture throughout history, and still debated today. This course surveys historical and cultural contexts of efforts to understand life, taxonomy, and ecology, and modern questions in the philosophy of the life sciences. The historical and cultural approach will help us to understand changing views, similarities, and differences among various understandings of life. And our approach to philosophy will be critical, asking what the best arguments for various current views are. Topics covered may include ecology, evolution, heredity, natural history, taxonomy, and definitions of life.

Recommended Preparation: 0.5 credit in HPS/ PHL/ VIC (Science, Technology, and Society courses)
Breadth Requirements: Living Things and Their Environment (4)

HPS212H1 - Global Digital: Information, Computing, and Communication in the Modern World

Hours: 24L/6T

From integrated circuits and the internet to social media and machine learning, digital technologies are a crucial part of modern life. How have they been developed in the contexts of the Cold War, neoliberal economic order, mass media, and crowdsourcing? In what ways have they shaped sociability, governance, production, and reasoning? How have they intertwined with the changing scientific understandings of the worlds? In this course, we examine select digital technologies and their co-production with society. We emphasize their global aspects: international tech ecosystems, transnational research and development, and political or cultural transformations facilitated by digital devices or systems.

Exclusion: HPS301H1 (offered as "Global Digital: Information, Computing, and Communication in the Modern World") taken in Winter 2023
Recommended Preparation: 0.5 HPS credit
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS220H1 - Machines

Hours: 24L/11T

Machines pervade our lives and their influences are woven through countless contemporary debates in both academic and public discourse. The term ‘machine’ is used frequently in ordinary language, in literature, as well as in philosophical and scientific discussions, yet the concept itself—it’s history, meaning, and impact—rarely gets the analysis it deserves. This course explores the meanings and influence of machines for knowledge, culture, and society in different periods and places, both real and imaginary, through the lens of the history and philosophy of technology. We will draw on scholarship and expertise from a range of fields, including history, philosophy, anthropology, human-machine interaction, computer science, sociology, and literary studies, to explore what machines have been, what they have become, and what they mean for our societies.

Prerequisite: Completion of 4.0 credits
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS222H1 - Science, Paradoxes, and Knowledge

Hours: 24L/10T

What is the nature of science and scientific knowledge? What is the nature of space, time and motion? Does science tell us the truth about the world? What are scientific revolutions and how they occur? The course will address these and various other questions about science. It will focus on the bearings that philosophical views had on science in different periods in history, starting from ancient Greece and concluding in the 20th C.

Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

HPS225H1 - Remaking the Past: The Re-creation and Re-enactment of Science and Technology

Hours: 24L/12T

One path to understanding the knowledge of the past is by attempting to re-create it. From rebuilding and sailing ancient sea vessels to reenacting scientific experiments, re-creation is used to investigate past approaches to technology and science. Using such methods, researchers seek to understand what was known, and also to experience how it was known. But, a persistent question remains: are authentic experiences truly possible across distances of time and culture?

The course surveys several academic domains to explore how an array of approaches to re-creation are used and understood. As a term assignment, participants will design and share their own hypothetical re-creation project.

Recommended Preparation: 0.5 HPS credit
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

HPS240H1 - The Influence of the Eugenics Movement on Contemporary Society

Hours: 24L/10T

This course explores present-day topics such as reproductive issues (including “designer babies” and genetic counselling), gender, racism/colonialism, disability and euthanasia through the lens of the history of eugenics. A “scientific” movement which became popular around the world in the early twentieth century, eugenics was based on the principle that certain undesirable human characteristics were hereditary and could be eliminated by controlled reproduction. It resulted in the enactment of laws in numerous places, including Canada, authorizing coerced reproductive sterilization of certain individuals, and other measures intended to “improve” humanity. Today, we see its influences woven through contemporary debates, a number of which we will consider.

Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS245H1 - Visions of Society and Progress

Previous Course Number: HPS352H1

Hours: 24L/12T

This course explores influential visions of society and progress found in the history of the human sciences. It addresses questions such as: Are human beings naturally selfish or cooperative? Is society in harmony with the individual or opposed to the individual? It explores the significance of race, class, population growth, capitalism, and gender in debates about the good society.

Exclusion: HPS352H1
Recommended Preparation: 0.5 credit in any of the following: HPS, history, sociology, economics, political science, anthropology, or another field that intersects with the social sciences such as criminology
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

HPS246H1 - Data and Society: What's Behind the Numbers?

Hours: 24L/12T

"Big data" and "data-driven" approaches have become central to our modern scientific, cultural, and political landscapes. Yet rarely do we stop to think about what these notions mean or how they relate to ways of living in and knowing the world around us. Students in this course will consider what it means to produce data, who/what gets in/excluded, and how a critical examination of the data-making process can inform a more socially just and equitable future.

Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

VIC248H1 - Genetics in the Movies: Mad Scientists, Clones, Superhumans, and Designer Babies

Hours: 24L/12T

This course explores how scientific and technological advances in genetics have been presented in the movies, focusing on American cinema. We will consider how selected films have influenced social perceptions of the role of scientists and genetic technologies in various areas. The movies and topics covered might include: The Black Stork (1917), A Bill of Divorcement (1932), Tomorrow’s Children (1934) for eugenics; The Boys from Brazil (1978), and Blueprint (2003) for human cloning; Jurassic Park (1993) for de-extinction or bringing extinct animal species back to life; Blade Runner (1982) for synthetic biology and human nature; Gattaca (1997) for human genetic enhancement; The Fly (1958) and The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996) for chimeras; My Sister’s Keeper (2009) for savior siblings; and Okja (2017) for genetically modified animals. We will also analyze the role of documentaries, such as Human Nature (2019) and Make People Better (2022).

Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS250H1 - Introductory Philosophy of Science

Hours: 24L/10T

This course introduces and explores central issues in the philosophy of science, including scientific inference, method, and explanation. Topics may include underdetermination, realism, empiricism, scientific revolutions, feminist epistemology, and laws of nature.

Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

HPS255H1 - History and Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence

Hours: 24L/12T

This course introduces students to the historical and philosophical issues around artificial intelligence (AI). We will cover the geopolitical, economic, and cultural contexts from which the field of AI emerged, as well as the troubled history of the scientific concept of intelligence and how that has influenced the development of AI. The course will also introduce students to foundational and normative questions, such as how we should define and measure AI, how to evaluate the accomplishments of AI systems, and what the benefits and risks of relying on such systems might be.

Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS260H1 - Biology and the Future: Science and Science Fiction

Hours: 24L/6T

This lecture course explores the fantastic visions of humanity's future inspired by the advance of the biological sciences during the twentieth century. Biology provided the scientific underpinning for societal hopes and fears embodied in such cultural icons as robots, aliens, "brains in a vat," and super-humans.

Exclusion: HMB444H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

HPS270H1 - Science and Literature

Hours: 24L/10T

This course will focus on the interplay between science and literature from ancient Greece to the present day. We’ll examine the impact of major scientific paradigm shifts on the literature of their time, and situate literary texts within the context of contemporary scientific discoveries and technological innovations.

Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

HPS272H1 - Science against Religion? A Complex History

Previous Course Number: HPS326H1

Hours: 24L

This course introduces students to the central topics arising from the encounter between modern science and religion. It aims to integrate historical and philosophical perspectives about science and religion. Did modern science arise because of Christianity or despite of it? Are science and religion necessarily in conflict? Have they factually always been in conflict throughout history? Are proofs of God's existence obsolete? Has science secularized society? What role should religions play in liberal democracies?

Exclusion: HPS326H1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS299H1 - Research Opportunity Program

Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities/research-opportunities-program. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

HPS299Y1 - Research Opportunity Program

Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities…. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

HPS300H1 - Topics in History and Philosophy of Science and Technology

Hours: 24L/10T

Topics vary year to year.

Prerequisite: 4.0 Credits
Recommended Preparation: 1.0 credit in HPS courses, including 0.5 at the 200-level
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

HPS301H1 - Topics in the History of Science and Technology

Hours: 24L/10T

This course can concern topics of special interest in the history of science from Antiquity until present. Topics may focus on specific-time periods, fields of inquiry, individuals, scientific institutions, or geographic locations. Content in any given year depends on instructor. Refer to the Institute for the History & Philosophy of Science & Technology website for more information.

Prerequisite: 4.0 credits
Recommended Preparation: 1.0 HPS credit, of which a 0.5 credit must be at the 200+ level
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

HPS302H1 - Topics in Philosophy of Science and Technology

Hours: 24L/10T

This course can concern topics of special interest in the philosophy of science from Antiquity until present. Topics may include scientific change, rationality, method, evidence, progress, reduction, scientific laws, models, representation etc. The course may also focus on specific-time periods, fields of inquiry, individuals, scientific institutions, geographic locations, etc.

Prerequisite: 4.0 credits, including a 0.5 credit in BR= 1/ BR= 2
Recommended Preparation: 1.0 credit in HPS/ PHL/ VIC (Science, Technology, and Society courses), including a 0.5 credit at the 200+ level.
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

HPS304H1 - A History Lab: Biomedical Sciences, Past and Present

Hours: 36S

Offers a hands-on introduction to historical research. Through a close examination of classic scholarly texts, archival materials, and recent media publications, this advanced seminar explores the sources, methods, and approaches in historical studies of biomedical twentieth century-sciences.

Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

HPS316H1 - Environment, Technology, and Nature

Hours: 24L/10T

This course examines the intersection of technology and environment in the modern world. Whether simple or complex, whether designed for recreation, work, or warfare, our tools and how we use them filter our perceptions of, and engagements with, non-human nature.

Prerequisite: 0.5 credit in HPS/HIS
Recommended Preparation: 1.0 HPS/ HIS credit. HPS202H1/ HPS205H1/ HPS220H1 would be especially useful.
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

HPS318H1 - History of Medicine I

Hours: 24L/10T

This course explores how medicine was practiced, taught and theorized from ancient Greece to the early modern period. It focuses on the historical development of western medicine in relation to societies, politics and culture, and considers topics such as the creation of medical traditions, the transmission and communication of medical knowledge, the pluralistic world of healers, the role of religion, magic and natural philosophy, the cultural meaning of disease, and the emergence of institutions such as the hospital.

Prerequisite: 4.0 credits
Exclusion: HPS314Y1
Recommended Preparation: 0.5 HPS/ HIS credit, or course with health care content including ANT205H1, ANT345H1, ANT357H1, HST211H1, HST350H1, SOC243H1, WGS367H1.
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS319H1 - History of Medicine II

Hours: 24L/10T

This course examines the development of medicine from the seventeenth to the twentieth century. It focuses on the historical development of western medicine in relation to societies, politics and culture and considers topics such as changing views of the body, the development of medical institutions such as hospitals, asylums and laboratories, the diversifies world of healing and the place of visual and material culture in the production and dissemination of medical knowledge.

Prerequisite: 4.0 credits
Exclusion: HPS314Y1, HPS315H1
Recommended Preparation: 0.5 HPS/ HIS credit, or course with health care content
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS321H1 - Understanding Engineering Practice: From Design to Entrepreneurship

Hours: 6T/24S

This course seeks to understand the nature of engineering practice, which comprises complex social, intellectual, and technical actions at various stages from design to entrepreneurship. Building upon the history and social studies of technology, philosophy of engineering, business history, and management science, we introduce ways to analyze such complex actions.

Prerequisite: 0.5 credit in BR=1/ BR=2 and 1.0 credit from any of AER, ANA, APS, AST, BCB, BCH, BIO, BME, CHE, CHM, CIV, ECE, EEB, ENV, ESC, ESS, FOR, GGR, HMB, LMP, MGT, MGY, MIE, MSE, PHY, RSM, TEP
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS322H1 - Complexity, Order, and Emergence

Hours: 10T/24S

A survey of the history of and recent developments in the scientific study of complex systems and emergent order. There will be particular emphasis on the biological and cognitive sciences. Topics covered may include: mechanism and teleology in the history of science, 19th and 20th century emergentism, complex systems dynamics, order and adaptiveness, self-organization in biology and cognitive development.

Prerequisite: 4.0 credits, including a 0.5 credit in HPS/ PHL
Recommended Preparation: 1.0 HPS/ PHL credit. PHL232H1 or any course in the philosophy of science or in the history and philosophy of biology would be especially useful.
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

HPS324H1 - Natural Science and Social Issues

Hours: 24L

Historical examination of the interactions of science (both as body of knowledge and as enterprise) with ideological, political and social issues. The impact of science; attacks on and critiques of scientific expertise as background to contemporary conflicts. Subjects may vary according to students interests. (offered irregularly)

Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS325H1 - Modern Science and Holy Texts

Hours: 24L

This course explores interdisciplinary topics related to the encounter between modern science and texts accepted as holy by religious communities, such as the Bible in Christianity. What role did holy texts play in the emergence of modern science? Did modern science change the way religious communities interpret their holy texts? What to do with claims such as that the Quran contains quantum physics? Does modern science exhibit the same kind of rationality that we find in rabbinical Judaism? Do holy texts only exist to assist humanity's attempts at understanding the meaning of the world, while modern science actually explains the world? What role do texts play in modern science compared to holy texts in religious communities? And, what has modern science to say about the very idea of holy texts?

Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS331H1 - How Maps Transform the World, Society, and Ourselves

Hours: 24L/12T

Maps are pervasive in our world: so indispensable, and so disposable that thousands are made, used, and discarded every day. Yet not long ago, maps were both rare and strange technological things. When and why did modern mapping systems come into being? Behind this transformation lie contentious stories of objects and people, makers and users, global forces and local dynamics, metropoles and colonies, and technologies and cultures. Focusing on the modern period, each week illuminates maps and their importance in our world by focusing on a keyword, such as power, territory, worldmaking, boundaries, imperialism, capitalism, literacy, verticality, and countermapping.

Prerequisite: 0.5 HPS/HIS credit at the 200/ 300-level. Students who do not meet the prerequisite are encouraged to contact the Department.
Exclusion: HPS301H1 (Topics in the History of Science: A Global History of Mapping Sciences), offered in Winter 2022
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS340H1 - The Limits of Machine Intelligence

Hours: 24L/11T

With the recent headline-making breakthroughs in deep learning neural networks (DNNs), it might seem that we are on the cusp of living with artificial systems that match or exceed human intelligence. But there remain longstanding philosophical challenges around the definition of intelligence that AI researchers use, how they measure the performance of their systems, and what DNNS could really be capable of, that still need addressing. For example, how close are DNNs to passing the Turing test? How close are we to building general intelligence and what do we need to get us there? How can we draw fair and meaningful comparisons between artificial and biological systems? We will draw on material from the history and philosophy of science to evaluate and inform current debates around the limits of AI. For example, we’ll consider what kinds of explanations DNNs can provide. We’ll also look at how debates between the rationalists and empiricists (e.g. Locke, Hume, and Kant) inform current debates between AI nativists and empiricists. This course explores these questions through contemporary texts across the fields of philosophy of science, artificial intelligence, comparative psychology, and cognitive science, among others.

Prerequisite: Completion of 4.0 credits including 0.5 credit in any HPS/ PHL/ COG course. Students who do not have all of these prerequisites are encouraged to contact the instructor.
Exclusion: HPS300H1 (Topics in History and Philosophy of Science and Technology: The Limits of Machine Intelligence), offered in Winter 2021 and Fall 2021
Recommended Preparation: One of HPS220H1/ HPS255H1/ PHL342H1/ COG250Y1/ CSC199H1/ SMC199H1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS345H1 - Quantifying the World: Debates on the Ethical and Epistemic Implications of AI and Automation

Hours: 24L/12T

The effects of automation, computing, and information technology have had a great impact on our society. The rise of automation and computing the almost cult-like trust in mechanization have transformed our society both at the material and the epistemological level. This course will examine the epistemological and ethical debates that AI and automation have produced in all sectors of society. It will consider a variety of media and instruments from data visualization and mapping, to the use of AI and robotics, contextualizing them within popular and hotly contested examples in the military field and in cybersecurity, in medical diagnostics and epidemiology, in the automotive industry, and in the personal realm.

Prerequisite: 4.0 credits
Recommended Preparation: 1.0 credit in BR=1/ BR=2, including a 0.5 credit in HPS/ PHL/ VIC (Science, Technology, and Society courses)
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS346H1 - Modifying and Optimizing Life: on the Peculiar Alliance between AI, Biology, and Engineering

Hours: 24L/12T

Taking cue from the entanglements that historically have pervaded the relation between biology and information technology since the early 20th century, this course interrogates the sociocultural and technological conjuncture that has brought computer science, biology and engineering together into peculiar, ingenious, and often controversial alliances. What do AI, synthetic biology, and biotechnology have in common? How have they come to be associated? What are the debates and ethics emerging from such associations? The course will focus on topics such as: geoengineering and bioremediation; GMO and Robotic insects; the use of expert systems and machine learning to optimize synthetic biology; the flourishing and marketing of precision and personalized medicine/immunotherapy; and the ethics behind CRISPR babies.

Prerequisite: 4.0 credits
Recommended Preparation: 1.0 credit in BR=1/ BR=2, including a 0.5 credit in HPS/ PHL/ VIC (Science, Technology, and Society courses)
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS347H1 - History of Autism Across Time and Cultures

Hours: 24L/12T

What is autism? When was it first identified as a condition? How has its meaning changed over time? How does the autistic experience vary across cultures?

This course covers the history of autism, the social understandings and cultural meanings of autism, and the autistic experience through time and across cultures. It introduces students to both historical and contemporary perspectives, including scientific accounts, cultural representations, and the voices of autistic people. Through the case of autism we will grapple with larger issues such as the role of medical and social views in shaping definitions of mental normality and pathology, the changing meaning of disability in different cultures, and the experience of living with a developmental disability.

Prerequisite: 4.0 credits, of which 0.5 should be an HPS credit.
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS351H1 - Biomedical Sciences and Technologies in Global Society

Hours: 24L/12T

This course examines how the contemporary life sciences intersect with global geopolitics through an introduction to the field of science and technology studies (STS). Using interdisciplinary methodologies and global perspectives, the course addresses key questions including: Who benefits from the development of new biotechnologies, and who is exploited in the process? Who sets the international norms of bioethics and medical market regulation? How are biologists and medical practitioners redefining life for different societies and their diverse constituencies? The course predominantly focuses on humans, but also introduces new scholarship on animal studies and synthetic life forms. It has significant coverage of the Middle East, Africa, and East and South Asia.

Prerequisite: 4.0 credits, including a 0.5 credit in BR=1/ BR=2
Recommended Preparation: 1.0 credit in ANT/ HPS/ HIS/ SOC/ VIC (Science, Technology, and Society courses)
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

JHE353H1 - History of Evolutionary Biology

Hours: 24L/10T

A historical examination of major ideas about biological evolution, with an emphasis on the period from the 18th century to the 1950s, and of their impact on scientific and social thought. Topics include the diversity of life and its classification, the adaptation of organisms to their environments, Wallace’s and Darwin’s views on evolution by natural selection, sexual selection, concepts and mechanisms of biological inheritance, and the implications of evolutionary theory for the organization of human society.

Prerequisite: 6.0 credits including a 0.5 credit from HPS/ EEB/ BIO 
Exclusion: HPS353H1
Recommended Preparation: 2.0 HPS/ EEB/ BIO credits including 1.0 credit at the 200+ level
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS354H1 - History of Medicine and Public Health in the Middle East

Hours: 24L/6T

This course provides a broad thematic overview of the history of medicine and public health in the Middle East. Focusing on the modern period, the course highlights the region as a contact zone of medical traditions and a key site in the emergence of colonial medicine and international public health. Students examine the social and cultural effects of new developments in medical thought and practice, including ideas about contagion and disease prevention, the notion of public health and hygiene, and the construction of colonial and postcolonial medical schools and hospitals.

Recommended Preparation: A prior course in HPS, HIS, or NMC
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

JHE355H1 - History and Philosophy of Evolutionary Biology

Hours: 24L/10T

An examination of the place of the organism in evolutionary theory from the early 1900s to the present. Biology is the science of living things, and yet, paradoxically, living things--organisms--have been comprehensively left out of the Modern Synthesis theory of evolution that developed in the twentieth century. This course surveys the reasons--historical, philosophical and empirical--for the marginalization of organisms from evolutionary theory. It examines the ways in which evolutionary developmental biology attempts to restore the organisms to a central place in evolutionary biology. Offered by faculty in the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology.

Prerequisite: 6.0 credits, of which 1.0 credit is from EEB/ BIO/ HPS courses
Recommended Preparation: JHE353H1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS370H1 - Philosophy of Medicine

Hours: 24L/12T

This course introduces students to philosophical issues in the study of medicine. The course will cover foundational questions, such as what constitutes evidence that a therapy is effective, how do we define health and disease, and information derived from research is used to support clinical practice. Students will be introduced to different movements in contemporary clinical medicine, such as Evidence-based Medicine, Person-Centered Healthcare, and Precision Medicine.

Prerequisite: 4.0 credits, including a 0.5 credit in BR=1/ BR=2
Recommended Preparation: 0.5 credit in HPS/PHL courses, HPS250H1 or another philosophy of science course would be particularly useful
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS371H1 - COVID-19: Epistemology and Societal Implications

Hours: 24L/12T

The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant changes in our daily lives, society, medicine, and public health. This course will examine the pandemic and the public response through a philosophy of science lens. In particular, students will explore philosophical issues about how the healthcare community generates knowledge and how that knowledge is used to inform responses to a major public health crisis. The course will also provide a brief history of pandemics and examine Coronavirus in a historical context. Epistemological issues regarding pandemic modelling and epidemiology, clinical research and generalizability of findings, diagnostic testing, public health response (e.g. border closures, protective masks, social distancing, isolation, testing and tracking), and economic and social impact will be covered. Portrayals of the pandemic by media, government, and scientists will also be examined. Readings will be drawn from a variety of academic disciplines and popular sources.

Prerequisite: 6.0 credits
Recommended Preparation: 1.0 credit of HPS courses or courses required for the Science, Technology, and Society minor
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

HPS390H1 - The Story of Number: Mathematics from the Babylonians to the Scientific Revolution

Hours: 24L/12T

A survey of ancient, medieval, and early modern mathematics with emphasis on historical issues.

Prerequisite: 1.0 credit at the 200+ level from CSC/ MAT/ STA
Exclusion: HPS310Y1; MAT220Y1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS391H1 - Rebels Who Count: The History of Mathematics from 1700 to the Present

Hours: 24L/12T

A survey of the development of mathematics from 1700 to the present with emphasis on historical issues.

Prerequisite: 1.0 credit at the 200+ level from CSC/ MAT/ STA
Exclusion: HPS310Y1; MAT220Y1, MAT391H1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS399Y1 - Research Opportunity Program

Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities…. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

HPS401H1 - Scientific Artifacts

Hours: 24S

This course explores the history of science through direct engagement with local scientific artifacts within the University of Toronto Scientific Instrument Collection (UTSIC.org). Each student will undertake a research project focused on a single artifact within the collection in order to explore both the local history of science and the methodology of material culture research as it relates to science.

Prerequisite: 9.0 credits including a 0.5 credit from HPS or a course required for the Science, Technology, and Society minor
Recommended Preparation: 2.0 credits from HPS or courses required for the Science, Technology, and Society minor including a 0.5 credit at the 300+ level
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS402H1 - Animals in the Histories of Science and Technology

Hours: 24S

What can a focus on nonhuman animals reveal about the knowledge practices and politics of science and technology? This course approaches the history of science from the perspective of nonhuman animals in order to revisit—and retell—the history of various scientific disciplines and practices. We will consider how the various ways in which animals have been enrolled into the formation of scientific knowledge, from laboratory settings to ecological fieldwork, to colonial natural history. Students will learn to interrogate anthropocentric biases in the histories of science and technology, and to assess the significance of nonhuman animals in the formation of scientific knowledge.

Prerequisite: 9.0 credits, including 0.5 HPS credit at the 300+ level.
Recommended Preparation: 2.0 credits from HPS or HIS or courses required for the Science, Technology, and Society minor
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS410H1 - History of Mathematics

Hours: 24S

Historical examination of mathematics, focusing on certain themes and time periods, to show how mathematics has changed and evolved.

Prerequisite: 9.0 credits
Recommended Preparation: 2.0 HPS credits including a 0.5 credit at the 300+ level; HPS390H1/ HPS391H1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS411H1 - Conceptual Foundations of Mathematics

Hours: 24S

An examination of foundational and conceptual aspects of mathematics such as: the nature of mathematical objects, logicism, Church’s elementalistic mathematics, Gödel’s theorem and formal systems, postulational methods, mathematics and reality, the cardinal, ordinal and abstract approaches to numbers, infinity, and Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometries.

Prerequisite: 9.0 credits
Recommended Preparation: 2.0 HPS credits including a 0.5 credit at the 300+ level; PHL245H1/ HPS390H1/ HPS391H1/ HPS410H1
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)

HPS412H1 - History of the Biological Sciences

Hours: 24S

Historical examination of the biological sciences, focusing on certain themes and time periods.

Prerequisite: 9.0 credits including a 0.5 HPS credit
Recommended Preparation: 2.0 HPS credits including a 0.5 HPS credit in the biological sciences (e.g. HPS240H1, HPS346H1, HPS351H1, or JHE353H1)
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS413H1 - Reading and Writing about Physics

Hours: 24S

Historians, philosophers, and sociologists have produced a wealth of literature on the analysis and examination of physics from the early modern period to the present. In this seminar, we read and discuss in depth a collection of recent classics and cutting-edge works on the historical studies of physics. Students also conduct research based on this literature. We aim to use physics as a lens to understanding key themes in the making of modern science, from incommensurability, epistemic cultures, and historical ontology, to materiality, social construction, pedagogy, and countercultures.

Prerequisite: 9.0 credits including a 0.5 HPS credit
Recommended Preparation: 2.0 HPS credits including a 0.5 credit at the 300+ level
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

HPS422H1 - History of Data

Hours: 24S

This seminar examines the meaning and value of data in a variety of historical contexts. Important moments in the history of science will be considered through scholars' attempts to catalog and quantify human lives, social dynamics, and natural phenomena. Course material will focus on the relationship between the production of data and different forms of knowledge, power, and governance.

Prerequisite: 9.0 credits
Recommended Preparation: 1.5 credits in the history and/or philosophy of science, of which a 0.5 credit is at the 300-level; HPS390H1/ HPS391H1 would be ideal.
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

HPS430H1 - History of Technology

Hours: 24S

This course offers a focused discussion of various topics and themes within the history of technology. Content in any given year varies by instructor. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Prerequisite: 9.0 credits
Recommended Preparation: 1.5 credits in HPS/ HIS/ VIC (Science, Technology, and Society courses), of which a 0.5 credit is at the 300-level. HPS202H1/ HPS205H1/ HPS205H1/ HPS316H1 particularly useful.
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS440H1 - Topics in History of Medicine

Previous Course Number: HPS303H1

Hours: 24S

This course offers a focused discussion of several aspects of the history of medicine. Various themes are examined in depth year to year so as to familiarize students with different topics and methodological approaches.

Prerequisite: 9.0 credits including HPS318H1/ HPS319H1/ 1.0 HPS credit at the 200+ level
Exclusion: HPS303H1
Recommended Preparation: 2.0 HPS credits including a 0.5 credit at the 300+ level
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

JPH441H1 - Physical Science in Contemporary Society

Hours: 24L

This course will discuss the complex, real-life, ethical, and philosophical issues behind how science gets done, including questions such as how we as scientists strive to determine the truth; who determines what science is done, and on what basis; how we as a community manage science and make decisions about education, authorship, publication, hiring, et cetera (including issues related to equity, inclusivity, and diversity); and how we as a society fund science and apply its discoveries.

Prerequisite: PHY224H1/ PHY250H1/ PHY252H1/ PHY254H1/ PHY256H1, or by permission of the instructor.
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS442H1 - Sciences of Whiteness in the Middle East & Its Diasporas

Hours: 24S

This research seminar traces the historical response of Middle Eastern societies and diasporas to Western scientific discourses of race and ethnicity from the 19th century to the present. We examine notions of racial classification and hierarchy as they emerged in Islamicate and European imperial contexts and their scientific application to Middle Eastern populations. We further investigate how the nationalist ideologies of modern Middle Eastern nation-states relied on and perpetuated race science. Finally, we consider the experience of Middle Eastern migrants to Europe and North America and their engagement with scientific definitions of Aryan, Caucasian and white racial identity.

Prerequisite: 9.0 credits including a 0.5 credit HPS/ HIS/ NMC course at the 300+ level
Recommended Preparation: 2.0 HPS/ HIS/ NMC credits including a 0.5 credit at the 300+ level
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS444H1 - Health, Medicine, and Society in the Mediterranean World

Hours: 24S

This course examines healing practices and medical knowledge in the Mediterranean world, focusing on the early modern period. We will address topics such as the interplay between medicine and religion, the relationship between patients and practitioners, and the role of women as both healers and patients and across Mediterranean shores. We will also consider how individuals in different Mediterranean regions experienced the relationship between health and the environment, explore the bearings that medical pursuits had on the creation and consolidation of notions of sex and gender, and examine how medical knowledge shaped views of the body and informed health policies.

Prerequisite: 1.0 credit from the following: HPS205H1, HPS240H1, HPS245H1, HPS260H1, HPS301H1, HPS304H1, HPS316H1, HPS318H1, HPS319H1, HPS331H1, HPS351H1, HPS354H1, HPS402H1, HPS412H1, HPS430H1, HPS431H1, HPS442H1, HIS218H1, HIS313H1. At least one 0.5 credit must be at the 300+ level. Students who do not meet the prerequisites are encouraged to contact the academic unit.
Recommended Preparation: This course presupposes having some background in the history of medicine and/or history of science and having engaged in historical research projects. It is highly recommended that students have taken one or more courses in History of Medicine (or History of Science and/or Technology).
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS445H1 - Slavery, Medicine, and Science

Hours: 24S

This course will study historical entanglements of slavery, science, and medicine. On the one hand, it will examine 1) the different ways in which medicine and science supported the institution of slavery; and 2)the sites in which slavery was integral to processes of production, movement and transfer of medical and scientific knowledge and practices. On the other hand, it will consider the voices of enslaved individuals, and accordingly cast light on the epistemic role of enslaved communities in the histories of science, medicine, and technology.

Prerequisite: 1.0 credit from HPS318H1/ HPS319H1/ HPS202H1/ HPS205H1/ HPS240H1/ HPS245H1/ HPS260H1/ HPS301H1/ HPS304H1/ HPS316H1/ HPS331H1/ HPS351H1/ HPS354H1/ HPS379H1/ HPS402H1/ HPS412H1/ HPS430H1/ HPS431H1/ HPS442H1/ HIS218H1/ HIS313H1/ NMC379H1, of which a 0.5 credit is at the 300-level
Recommended Preparation: Background in the history of medicine and/or history of science and having engaged in historical research projects; 0.5 credit in the History of Medicine
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS450H1 - Revolutions in Science

Previous Course Number: HPS350H1

Hours: 24S

A detailed investigation into a highly celebrated and important philosophical idea concerning the development of scientific knowledge: the notion of scientific revolutions. We will consider the process of theory change, whether theory choice is rational, and whether theoretical terms, such as light and space preserve their meanings across revolutions. In addition to classic work by Kuhn, we shall consider approaches that were inspired by Kuhn’s work. In particular, we will consider the approaches of sociologists of scientific knowledge. The course is taught as a seminar in which the students play an active role in presenting and discussing the readings.

Prerequisite: 9.0 credits including a 0.5 HPS credit at the 200+ level
Exclusion: HPS350H1
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS455H1 - Well-being and Policy Analysis

Hours: 24L

The research seminar will consider some central questions in the philosophy of economics and political philosophy and their intersection with, and relevance for questions concerning social justice, the environment, well-being, and policy analysis. The aim is to provide some background and analytical tools for policy analysis concerning issues related to well-being, distributive justice, poverty, disability, and environmental sustainability.

Prerequisite: 9.0 credits including a 0.5 HPS credit at the level of 200+ level
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

HPS480H1 - Special Topics in History and Philosophy of Science and Technology

Hours: 24S

This course will focus on matters of special interest in the history and philosophy of science and technology. Topics will change each time the course is offered, but may include a focus on specific-time periods, fields and methods of inquiry, individuals, institutions, geographic regions, controversies, etc.

Prerequisite: 9.0 credits, including 1.5 credits from courses that count toward the History and Philosophy of Science (HPS), Science, Technology and Society (STS), History, or Philosophy programs of study. Of these 1.5 credits, at least a 0.5 credit at the 300-level.

HPS485H1 - Special Research Opportunity in HPS

Hours: 24L

This course offers advanced undergraduate students the opportunity to undertake original research in the history and/or philosophy of science, technology, or medicine, under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Of particular value to students interested in graduate study.

Prerequisite: Permission of the Department
Recommended Preparation: 9.0 credits; 3.0 credits in HPS courses, of which a 0.5 credit is at the 300-level

HPS495Y1 - Individual Studies

This course offers advanced undergraduate students the opportunity to undertake a reading and/or research project in HPS, supervised by a faculty member in the history and/or philosophy of science, technology, or medicine. Of particular value to students interested in graduate study.

Prerequisite: Departmental approval
Recommended Preparation: 9.0 credits; 3.0 credits in HPS courses, of which a 0.5 credit is at the 300-level
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

HPS496H1 - Individual Studies in HPS

This course offers advanced undergraduate students the opportunity to undertake a reading and/or research project in HPS, supervised by a faculty member in the history and/or philosophy of science, technology, or medicine. Of particular value to students interested in graduate study.

Prerequisite: Departmental approval
Recommended Preparation: 9.0 credits; 3.0 credits in HPS courses, of which a 0.5 credit is at the 300-level.

HPS497H1 - Individual Studies

A reading and research project in some aspect of the social, cultural or intellectual history of science and technology, supervised by a faculty member.

Prerequisite: Two HPS courses

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