Introduction

The Institute for History and Foundations of Science (Utrecht University) is part of the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy. The Institute consists of two distinct Sections: the History of Science Section and the Foundations of Science Section, both located in the university area "De Uithof", on the outskirts of the city of Utrecht.

The Institute takes part in the Masters program for History and Philosophy of Science.

The Institute harbours the editorial office of the journal Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics

History Section

Members of the History of Science Section teach courses on the history of the natural sciences in general, as well as courses on specialized subjects, such as topics in the history of physics, chemistry or biology. Research subjects include: the general study of the development of concepts, ideas and theories in the natural sciences from about 1500 onwards; the history of the natural sciences in The Netherlands in the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century, in their social and cultural contexts; the history of biology, especially in the Netherlands, from 1550 to 1750 and from 1840 to 1940; the history of physics, especially in the Netherlands, from 1700 to 1940; the history of chemistry in the Netherlands from 1600 to 1940. This research is part of the research programme of The Huizinga Institute, Netherlands Graduate School for Cultural History.

Foundations Section

The Foundations of Science Section offers courses on the general philosophy of science, as well as courses on the foundations of quantum mechanics, the foundations of statistical physics, and the philosophy of space and time. The main themes of research are the foundations and the interpretation of quantum theory (including quantum information theory and quantum measurement theory), the foundations of statistical mechanics (comprising the analysis of the concept of probability, and with special attention to the concept of entropy), and the philosophy of space and time.

Information for (Erasmus) Exchange Students

Basic information on Exchnage and Mobility can be found on the webpage of the masters programs in the section Exchange.

About these pages

These pages will tell you what's going on at our Institute, and give you information about our staff members and their work (e.g., their publications). We also keep pages with links to other places of interest on the World Wide Web.

This site is maintained by M.P. Seevinck. If you have any questions regarding these pages,or would like to make comments in any way, please send an e-mail to
m.p.seevinck-at- uu. nl