Part II
Course manager: Jim Secord
Part II lectures and seminars are held in the Department, unless otherwise indicated.
- Paper 1: Classical Traditions in the Sciences
- Paper 2: Early Medicine
- Paper 3: Natural Philosophies: Renaissance to Enlightenment
- Paper 4: Science, Industry and Empire
- Paper 5: Modern Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
- Paper 6: Metaphysics, Epistemology and the Sciences
- Paper 7: Ethics and Politics of Science, Technology and Medicine
- Paper 8: History and Philosophy of the Physical Sciences
- Paper 9: History of Philosophy of Science
- Paper 10: History and Philosophy of Social and Psychological Sciences
- Primary sources seminars are held in the first half of Michaelmas Term
- Dissertation seminars are held in the second half of Lent Term
A full-time Part II course in history and philosophy of science is available as an option in the Natural Sciences Tripos. The course gives insight into the historical development of the sciences, technology and medicine, and into their philosophical structure and sociological dynamics. It thus provides essential resources for understanding some of the most significant institutions in the world today.
Students from a variety of backgrounds are encouraged to consider the course; those from the humanities and social sciences find that the insights they bring from their previous training compensate for any lack of knowledge of science. However, students who did not take Part IB HPS are advised, before the start of the Part II course, to read as many as possible of the texts listed on the Part IB timetable, and all intending Part II students are urged, during the Long Vacation, to tackle the preliminary reading for the papers they plan to take. Most of the books are available as inexpensive paperbacks.
Teaching and learning methods for this course include lectures, supervisions, research work, group discussions, class presentations, and extensive reading. Assessment is through coursework and unseen examinations.
There are two alternative options for students taking HPS Part II: Option A is normally the choice of students who intend to graduate after taking Part II; Option B is normally the choice of those who plan to proceed to Part III. All students are free to choose either option.
Option A consists of:
- three unseen written examinations chosen from the ten papers;
- a dissertation;
- two primary sources essays.
Option B consists of:
- four unseen written examinations chosen from the ten papers;
- two primary sources essays.
Each examination paper counts for 20%, the two primary sources essays for 20% and the dissertation (in Option A) for 20% of the overall mark. This means that Option A is 40% coursework and Option B is 20% coursework.
The course is overseen by the Part II Manager who takes overall responsibility for the running of the course and gives advice to students on planning the year's work. Each paper also has a manager, whose name is listed under the paper title and whom you may approach with questions about the lectures, seminars and supervisions for that paper.