Institut's history

Today's IHPST has inherited both a university institute (created in 1932) and a research unit associated with the CNRS (created in 1967).

On the university side, the IHPST inherits the "Institut d'histoire des sciences", created by decree on January 28, 1932 with the aim of "organizing, coordinating and developing advanced studies in the history of science" (article 1 of the statutes), and attached to the Faculty of Letters of the University of Paris. With its own Board of Directors, its aims were to "create an institute in which professors from the Faculty of Science and the Collège de France will collaborate", to "get students of laboratories and students of history or philosophy to work together" and to "reject the division of studies between the humanities and the sciences" (Minutes of the 1st meeting of the Board of Directors, March 4, 1932).

In 1933, it became the "Institut d'histoire des sciences et des techniques", attached to the five faculties of the University of Paris, and placed under the supervision of the Paris Rectorate. It moved to 13 rue du four at the end of 1934. This "university institute" was the first institution to teach the history of science in France. It received occasional support from the CNRS from 1949 onwards. In 1970, university institutes were abolished, and in 1971, the IHST became a component of the newly-created University of Paris 1, attached to the Philosophy UER. It became the "Institut d'histoire et de philosophie des sciences et des techniques" in 1989, and continued as an institute until 2001.

It was directed successively by Abel Rey (from 1932), Gaston Bachelard (from 1940), Georges Canguilhem (from 1955), Suzanne Bachelard (from 1971), Jacques Bouveresse (from 1985), François Dagognet (from 1989) Jean-Pierre Séris (from 1992 to 1994), then Anne Fagot-Largeault.

On the CNRS side, the IHPST inherited the "associated research team" ERA 81, which G. Canguilhem created in 1967, on the second floor of 13 rue du four. This team became a "history and philosophy of science" team in 1974, then a URA 1079 in 1986, and a UMR 8590 for "philosophy of science" in 1998. The CNRS unit was successively directed by G. Canguilhem, S. Bachelard and J. Bouveresse, co-directed by F. Dagognet and Ph. de Rouilhan, then by J.P. Séris and Ph. de Rouilhan, and finally directed by Ph. de Rouilhan (from 1994 to 2001).

The merger of the Institute and the UMR, instigated by Ph. de Rouilhan, became effective on January 1, 2002. The UMR then took the name of the Institute (IHPST), which ceased to exist as a separate institution. Since 2002, the IHPST has been directed by Jacques Dubucs (from 2002 to 2010), Jean Gayon (from 2010 to Sept. 2016), Max Kistler (from Sept. 2016 to June 2018) and Pierre Wagner (from June 2018 to September 2023) and Francesca Merlin since September 2023.

The merger of the Institute and the UMR, instigated by Ph. de Rouilhan, became effective on January 1, 2002. The UMR then took the name of the Institute (IHPST), which ceased to exist as a separate institution.