Historical Perspectives on (Inter)disciplinarity

How have disciplines emerged and evolved historically? How have they interacted, and what are the epistemic, social, and cultural conditions that facilitate or hinder the exchange and integration of knowledge across disciplinary boundaries ? In my talk, I will address these questions by presenting my ongoing historical research on disciplinary formations and interactions. In particular, I will focus on interactions between disciplines representing the supposedly distinct “two cultures” of the humanities and the natural sciences. I will outline two related, forthcoming research projects: The first is on the use of historical knowledge and methods in climate science, while the second is on the application of the physical theory of relativity to various humanities disciplines, ranging from linguistics to musicology. Moreover, I look forward to discussing with you the potential relevance of my historical research for our general understanding of the nature of both disciplinarity and interdisciplinarity.

Join us on 5 April 2024, 10-11.30, Drift 13 (2.05) or via Teams (mail: F.Hakemulder@uu.nl)