Topic

History of Science and Technology

Research on the history of science and technology at the Masaryk Institute and the Archives of the CAS focuses mainly on questions of the historical epistemology of science, on the history of scientific institutions and scientific personalities, with an emphasis on the field of non-university research and especially the Academy of Sciences and its predecessors from the 18th century to the present. Research also focuses on the overall institutional system of science, the position of non-university institutions within this system, and the impact of different institutional forms on the shape of scientific output. The focus is on the changes in the position and perception of science and scientists in society, especially in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Other important themes are the relations between basic and applied research and between science and technology, and the usually closely related development of science policy seen in the broad context of the political, social and cultural development of society.