Science and technology matter.
The remarkable growth of science and technology over the past century raises pressing philosophical and social questions. Many questions pondered by philosophers for generations – how might objective knowledge be attained, if at all? by what criteria might one theory be judged better than another – now take on new urgency. And advances in science and technology have raised new questions that desperately need to answered. In a world where biotechnologists regularly create new species, what remains of the notion of “nature”? Ought we allow parents to alter the genetic makeup of their offspring according to their preferences? Should researchers be constrained from cloning humans? from “weaponizing” bacteria and viruses? from privatizing seed stock for food crops? from producing and promoting technologies that cause great damage to our landscape. Does “virtual” communication, through a screen and keyboard, with strangers create a satisfying sense of community, or does it simply magnify the loneliness of those increasing numbers who spend most of their time in the soft glow of a computer terminal.
Science and technology are intertwined with all of societies other institutions. Schools “scientifically” test children, “scientifically” sort them, and aspire to teach “scientifically,” increasingly via computer. Courts find themselves more and more dependent upon scientific expert witnesses who compete to use their skills to determine the “truth” behind contested events. Religious leaders struggle to accommodate the latest findings from laboratories, findings that often flatly contradict traditional religious teachings. Government seeks the advice of scientists when determining policy, while at the same time acting to influence the research agendas of scientists themselves. Art too ambivalently registers the great importance of technology and science in our lives, from films (which are today utterly dependant upon computers to generate images that could never otherwise be visualized) to electronic music to science fiction.
The Graduate Program in Science, Technology and Society at Bar Ilan invites you to take part in an intellectual adventure, studying science and technology with rigor and creativity, from a perspective that incorporates many disciplines: history, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, literary criticism, critical theory, and much more. Our students gain the tools needed to understand science, technology and medicine from a broad and critical perspective. Our faculty appreciates the majesty of contemporary scientific achievements, which are a great tribute to human ingenuity, yet we also appreciate the complicated, ambivalent, and sometimes dangerous ways in which science, technology and society interact.
About
Students of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. A background in sciences (including social sciences), or in philosophy or history is considered an advantage.
The program is for graduate students (M.A. and Ph.D.) only. There are three available course of study:
- M.A. studies, with a thesis requirement. For those with a B.A. or B.Sc. degree from an accredited institution of higher education in Israel or abroad. Standard length of the program is two to two-and-a-half years.
- Combined M.A. – Ph.D. studies. For students holding a B.A. or B.Sc. degree from an accredited institution of higher education in Israel or abroad and demonstrating exceptional potential. This program allows students to complete course requirements for a Master’s degree and then, instead of writing a master’s thesis, to submit a Ph.D. proposal. This proposal will be recognized to fulfill the requirements of a thesis, and once it is approved, the student will be granted a Master’s degree. She or he will continue immediately to work on their doctoral dissertation. Standard length of the program, from B.A. to Ph.D. is estimated at five to six years.
- Ph.D. studies. For students holding a relevant master’s degree. Standard length of the program, from B.A. to Ph.D. is estimated at four to five years.
Course Requirements
Students with no background in the humanities, particularly philosophy and history, are required to complete up to three year-long courses (six “yearly hours”) in these subjects. The precise courses will be chosen by the student together with her or his faculty advisor, according to the interests and research goals of the students.
Students with no background in the science are required to complete up to three yearlong courses (six “yearly hours”) in these subjects. The precise courses will be chosen by the student together with her or his faculty advisor, according to the interests and research goals of the students.
The program demands that students participate in twenty “yearly hours” of courses and seminars, in addition to any prerequisite requirements. Among these are:
Core Courses and Seminars: These five courses and seminars are required for all program students:
- Introduction to the History of Science, from Plato to NATO
- Introduction to the Philosophy of Science
- Advanced Philosophy of Science (Semester 1: Between Perplexity,
- Justification and Illumination: Science and Philosophy of Science 1600-1900 and Semester 2: Analytic Philosophy of Science and its Limitation: A Study of Three Problems)
- Science, Technology and Society
- Historiography of Science
Elective Courses and Seminars: These five courses or seminars may be chosen, in consultation with your faculty advisor, for any relevant courses taught in our program or throughout the university.
Additional Requirements:
Students in the program are required to submit to the faculty two seminar papers (which will typically have been written as part of a course or seminar). These papers must reflect the abilities of the student to research rigorously, write clearly and, especially, and think creatively.
Students are also required to pass a comprehensive examination in Science, Technology and Society. The exam will be based on the independent reading of students of a list of seminal books in the field, to be determined jointly by the student and her faculty advisor. This list of books will be taken from a larger list of Important Works in Science, Technology and Society, Technology and Medicine.
Unless a special exemption is granted, to continue on to doctoral studies in the combined M.A.-Ph.D. program, students must attain an average of 90 in their coursework.
Students in the program are required to pass a university mandated and administered English language proficiency examination. Those who do not pass the exam will be provided with remedial English instruction.