PhD Entrance Exam Resources for History of Science

The PhD entrance exam does not have specific resources, but studying the following can be beneficial

Suggested Resources for History of Science

  • Entries on the history of science in "The Great Islamic Encyclopedia"
  • Chapters on the history of science in "The Comprehensive History of Iran"
  • The Cambridge Illustrated History of The World's Science, Ronan A. Colin
  • Introduction to the History of Science (From Homer to Khayyam), George Sarton, translated by Gholamhossein Sadri Afshar
  • The Beginnings of Western Science, David Lindberg, translated by Fereydoun Badraei
  • An Introduction to the Historiography of Science, Helge Kragh, translated by Mohammad Ebrahim Bast
  • Principles of the Metaphysics of Modern Science, Arthur Brett, translated by Abdolkarim Soroush
  • A Look at the History of Mathematics and Astronomy in Iran, Younes Karamati
  • Minaei Circles: A Study in the History of Cosmology in Islamic Civilization, Amir Mohammad Gamini

Suggested Resources for Philosophy of Science

  • What is Science, Alan Chalmers, translated by Saeed Zibakalam
  • Philosophy of Science, Samir Okasha, translated by Homan Panahandeh

Entries in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

  • Logical Empiricism
  • Bayesian Epistemology
  • Scientific Realism
  • Scientific Explanation
  • Confirmation

Main Sources in Philosophy of Science

  • The Logic of Scientific Discovery, Karl Popper
  • The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Thomas Kuhn
  • The Scientific Image, Bas van Fraassen
  • Against Method, Paul Feyerabend
  • A Realist Theory of Science, Roy Bhaskar
  • Two Dogmas of Empiricism, Willard Van Orman Quine

Analytical Articles

  • An Evaluative Look at "Constructive Empiricism" of van Fraassen, Javad Akbari Tokhtameshloo, Mehdi Golshani
  • Sources of Anarchist Epistemology in Feyerabend, Mostafa Taghavi
  • "Rationality" in Popper's Philosophy of Science, Javad Akbari Tokhtameshloo, Saeed Zibakalam
  • Review of the Book A Realist Theory of Science, Maryam Pust Foroush, Mostafa Taghavi
  • Review of The Philosophy of Hilary Putnam, Hasok Chang

Suggested Resources for Philosophy

Logic

  • Introduction to Modern Logic, Zia Movahed
  • Fundamentals of Modern Logic, Lotfollah Nabavi

Western Philosophy

  • Philosophy: An Introduction, Richard Henry Popkin, Avrum Stroll, translated by Jalal al-Din Mojtabavi, Hekmat Publications
  • Summary of the History of Western Philosophy, authored by Hossein Shourvarzi, Hossein Sanei
  • Philosophy in the Twentieth Century, authored by Jean Lacoste, translated by Reza Davari Ardakani

Analytical Philosophy

  • What is Analytical Philosophy, authored by Hans Johann Glock, translated by Yasar Khoshnavis
  • Analytical Philosophy in the Twentieth Century, Avram Stroll, translated by Fereydoun Fatemi

Contemporary Philosophy

  • Introduction to Contemporary Western Philosophies from Husserl to Rorty, Mohammad Asgari
  • Continental Philosophy, Robert Solomon, translated by Mohammad Mehdi Ardebili
  • History of Contemporary Western Philosophy, Bahman Pazouki
  • Contemporary Philosophy, Frederick Charles Copleston, translated by Ali Asghar Halabi

Islamic Philosophy

  • Al-Mantiq, Mohammad Reza Mazfar
  • Commentary and Translation of Bidayat al-Hikmah by Allameh Tabatabai (Volume 1), Ali Shirvani
  • History of Islamic Philosophy, under the supervision of Seyyed Hossein Nasr and Oliver Leaman, translated by a group of translators
  • The History of Philosophy in the Islamic World, authored by Majid Fakhry, translated by Nasrollah Pourjavadi, University Publishing Center
  • Suhrawardi and the School of Illumination, Mehdi Amin Razavi

General Tips for Success in the PhD Entrance Exam for History of Science

Success in this field requires deep research, critical analysis of historical and philosophical texts, and integration of interdisciplinary knowledge in the fields of science, philosophy, and history.

  1. Strengthen your critical perspective by reviewing key articles and books.
  2. Instead of memorization, focus on analyzing philosophical concepts and historical relationships.
  3. Study primary sources with reliable translations and modern interpretations.
  4. Use tools like Mind Maps to structure complex knowledge.
  5. Access scientific articles and reputable encyclopedias.
  6. Familiarity with contemporary historiography and critique of Western approaches will deepen your analysis.
  7. Precise scheduling for studying each section and allocating time for independent research is essential.
  8. Close to the exam, focus on personal summaries and primary sources.