Inter-division commission of IUHPST · DHST & DLMPST
IASCUD brings together historians and philosophers who study science, technology and mathematics across the world’s cultures. We work to connect research communities that are usually divided by region, and to ask what cultural diversity means for knowledge itself.
One number, six traditions of writing it
Each system builds the same quantity differently: in base 60, in base 20, with rods on a counting board, or with characters. Change the number to compare.
Babylonian cuneiform
Maya numerals
Chinese counting rods
Chinese numerals
Devanagari digits
Eastern Arabic digits
About
History of science and history of technology are still largely organised by region. Science in the West is studied within the disciplines themselves, while the rest of the world is handled through “area studies” or programmes such as “science and empires”.
IASCUD holds that this division works against the field. It reifies national, ethnic, linguistic and religious identities, and leaves research groups that rarely speak to one another. We bring together scholars who believe a global approach gives the right framework for a fully theoretical understanding of science and technology, and we build bridges among the communities that write the history of knowledge.
IASCUD is one of four inter-division commissions of the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IUHPST), shared by its Division of History of Science and Technology (DHST) and its Division of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science and Technology (DLMPST).
History of science and history of technology, as fields of research, are affected by several trends that require critical reflection. Most of these trends are widespread. The issue of cultural diversity is quite widespread and diversity is conceived around national, ethnic, linguistic and religious identities. These identities are perceived as homogenous and essentially distinct from each other. Some of the researches in history of science and technology also begin with similar assumptions, and at times these researches contribute to the shaping of such identities.
“Area studies” still constitute a way of organizing research in social sciences and humanities. According to such a pattern for the organization of research, the history of science in China would be more closely related to the study of ancient bronzes or to political changes since Deng Xiaoping than it would relate to the history of knowledge in India. Conducting research in this way contributes, in our view, more to reifying identities than it allows tackling the theoretical problems raised by the emergence, development and use of knowledge in various social contexts.
This last remark leads us to another set of unfortunate trends that affect history of science and history of technology and that are more specific to these fields. The organization of research described above has tangible effects. The disciplines of history of science and history of technology mainly cover science and technology in the West, whereas all the other parts of the planet are either dealt within “area studies” or approached through specific research programs such as “science and empires”, “science and technology in the European periphery.” There is no doubt that these research programs are essential for developing our knowledge in history of science and technology worldwide. However, they clearly reflect the fact that the fields of history of science and history of technology show the global picture of an asymmetric approach to phenomena related to knowledge, depending on where these phenomena occurred. Accordingly, the history of knowledge develops in groups that hardly communicate to each other or, to say the least, fail to establish firm bridges and syntheses among their contributions.
IASCUD sets itself the task of promoting a critical analysis of such trends in the field of the history of knowledge. It diagnoses that the divide of history of knowledge based on the areas studied is detrimental to a fruitful deployment of the field. IASCUD thereby aims at bringing together all those who are convinced that a global approach to the history of knowledge provides the right framework for a fully theoretical approach to science and technology. It sets itself the task of building bridges among various groups that develop the history of knowledge, wishing thereby to promote a new understanding of what may be conceived as “cultural diversity” in relation to science.
Aims of the Association · By-laws, Article 1
Activities
24–29 July · Buenos Aires, Argentina
17–20 November · Chicago, IL, USA
July · Online
31 August – 3 September · Bologna, Italy
5–10 August · Prague, Czech Republic
14–15 June · Tallinn, Estonia
23–29 July · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
September · Prague, Czech Republic
November · San Francisco, CA, USA
August · Helsinki, Finland
11 July · Paris, France
22–25 March · New Delhi, India
21–28 July · Manchester, UK
Council
Officers
Assessors
Membership
Individual scholars who take part in meetings, share their research and pay annual dues set by the Assembly.
Individuals elected by the Assembly for exceptional service to the Association. No dues.
Universities, scientific or cultural institutions and companies that support the Association’s aims.
Interested in becoming a member? Email us
iascud2000 [at] gmail [dot] comGovernance, membership and elections are set out in the Statutes and By-laws. The General Assembly meets every four years alongside the International Congress of History of Science and Technology.