| dc.description.abstract | History and philosophy of science are two different yet commonly associated academic
disciplines, grouped together in joint faculties and institutes in many places around the world as
well as on the highest, international level of organisation. A similar fusion took place at the
University of Utrecht in 1988. In this study, I demonstrate that this fusion, which was mainly
driven by financial considerations, has not resulted in closer intellectual integration, in spite of
the shared institutional structure or a shared physical working space. With three historical
reconstructions, I suggest that the disciplinary purposes of research in the history of science,
biohistory and foundations of physics were very different at the onset of unification.
Additionally, their only shared purpose they have had from the beginning, science-education and
reflexive general education for prospective scientists, has turned out inadequate as a catalyst for
collaborative creation of professional knowledge. For that reason, I propose innovation studies
as a new future partner-discipline for professional history of science. | |
