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Unit of study_

HPSC3002: Hist and Phil of the Biomedical Sciences

2024 unit information

This Unit of Study is dedicated to the science of life, and focuses on the history and philosophy of biology and medicine. Findings about phenomena such as the origins of life, evolution, and the relative contributions of DNA and various environmental factors to living processes have been debated not only by scientists but also the public. New accounts of the nature of disease and novel treatment strategies call for critical reflection on their implications. In this Unit of Study, we will take a closer look at a wide range of research concerned with life, disease, and death. We will focus in particular on the contributions historians and philosophers of science can make to discussions in the life sciences.

Unit details and rules

Managing faculty or University school:

History and Philosophy of Science Academic Operations

Code HPSC3002
Academic unit History and Philosophy of Science Academic Operations
Credit points 6
Prerequisites:
? 
(HPSC2100 or HPSC2900) and (HPSC1001 or HPSC1901 or HPSC2101 or HPSC2901)
Corequisites:
? 
None
Prohibitions:
? 
None

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. Identify and discuss some major chapters in the history of Chinese and Western medicine and the history of the body
  • LO2. Critically assess core conceptual, theoretical, and methodological issues in the global history of medicine
  • LO3. Recognize, read and interpret primary historical material
  • LO4. Assess, situate, and appreciate a range of secondary historiographical contributions and debates
  • LO5. Develop original arguments about historiographical issues in Chinese and Western medicine
  • LO6. Develop presentation skills that allow to communicate all of the above effectively and engagingly through oral and written presentations
  • LO7. Develop discussion skills that allow to argue effectively and persuasively for (or against) particular approaches in the history of medicine
  • LO8. Develop analytical skills that allow to ask incisive questions in class and in assignments

Unit availability

This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.

The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.

Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 2 2023
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 2 2024
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Outline unavailable
Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 2 2020
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 2 2021
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 2 2021
Normal day Remote
Semester 2 2022
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 2 2022
Normal day Remote

Modes of attendance (MoA)

This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.