The study of science took for centuries place at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Charles  University in Prague. As late as in 1920 the separate Faculty of Science was estabilished. It's goal was to educate young experts in chemistry, biology, geology and geography. The history of our department goes to the to the first years after WWI.  Philosopher, biologist and historian of science Emanuel Rádl (1873-1942) founded the "Philosophical seminar" as a part of the the new faculty of science. However, the department was disestabilished in 1950 because of political reasons. The short re-estabilishment in 1958 was  for a long time just an obituary - in 1968 the department was closed again, it's staff was removed or "transfered" to other departments.

The recent Department of History and Philosophy of Science was founded on 1st October 1990, soon after the "Velvet revolution" of 1989. It originated under the guidance of   professor Zdeňek Neubauer during the spring and summer of 1990 as a part of rectorates Institute of Fundamental Learning, which had it's affiliated branches on nearly all faculties. Our department remained as the only one of those branches in it's original extent and intention.

Our department provides all philosophical courses for MSc students. The department also provides separate study programmes, namely

Theoretical and Evolutionary Biology (MSc) and two PhD programmes,

Philosophy and History of Science and

Theoretical and Evolutionary Biology.

Please feel free to browse our website to learn more about the staff, actual seminars and lectures.