Between Science and History: historians and scientists on science and its history

Historians and scientists will compare perspectives on several topics in the history of science, fostering a better understanding of the ways in which historians and scientists interpret the historical record.

The programme features double presentations on the significance of canonical scientists:
Christiaan Huygens, by Vincent Icke and Floris Cohen;
Charles Darwin, by Carel ten Cate and Ana Sevilla;
Albert Einstein, by Erik Verlinde and Jeroen van Dongen.

The programme further consists of lectures about the relation between scientific knowledge and historical knowledge in several disciplines (e.g. economics, social sciences, law), directly dealing with such questions as:

• What kind of knowledge is required for good historiography of science?
• To what extent can/should historians neglect the current state of scientific knowledge?
• To what extent does scientific knowledge belong to a specific time and place?
• Can historical knowledge be of aid to present-day scientists?

The day will conclude with a panel discussion.

Time: 9:00–17:30.

Admission to the symposium is free. Registration is encouraged but not necessary. You can register by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. Participants can easily purchase lunch in the Lipsius Building (Cleveringaplaats 1) or elsewhere in central Leiden.

This symposium is held in the context of the NWO-sponsored programme ‘Philosophical Foundations of the Historiography of Science’.

For a detailed programme see the website: