Hasok Chang

Hasok Chang
Name	Hasok Chang
Birth date	1967
Birth place	Seoul, South Korea
Fields	History of science, Philosophy of science, Chemistry
Alma mater	University of Cambridge, University of Oxford
Workplaces	University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University College London, University of Toronto
Known for	Historical and philosophical studies of chemistry, Experimental replication, Scientific realism debates
Awards	Niklas Luhmann Prize

Hasok Chang Hasok Chang is a historian and philosopher of science known for work on the history of chemistry, the role of experiment, and issues in scientific realism and practice. He has written on figures such as Michael Faraday, Antoine Lavoisier, and Robert Boyle, and on institutions including the Royal Society and the Royal Institution. Chang has held positions at prominent universities including University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University College London, and University of Toronto.

Early life and education

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Chang pursued early education that led him to study chemistry and history in the United Kingdom. He completed undergraduate and postgraduate studies at University of Cambridge and University of Oxford, where he joined intellectual traditions associated with historians and philosophers such as Kuhn-influenced scholars at Cambridge University and historically oriented philosophers at Oxford University. During his doctoral work he engaged with archival collections at institutions like the Royal Society and libraries connected to King's College, Cambridge and the Bodleian Library.

Academic career and positions

Chang's academic appointments have spanned multiple leading research universities. He served in departments linked to University of Cambridge and University of Oxford before taking a chair at University College London and later moving to University of Toronto. At these institutions he has been affiliated with centers and institutes such as the Centre for History and Philosophy of Science and interdisciplinary programs bridging departments of History and Philosophy of Science and chemistry-related units. Chang has been a visiting fellow and researcher at organizations including the Max Planck Institute and has participated in collaborative projects with museums and archives such as the Science Museum, London and the Wellcome Trust.

Research contributions and philosophy of science

Chang's research integrates historical scholarship with philosophical analysis, focusing on experimental practice, chemical ontology, and historiography. He has examined classical episodes involving Michael Faraday, Antoine Lavoisier, and Joseph Priestley, using primary sources from archives like the Royal Institution and the Royal Society to reassess narratives tied to figures such as John Dalton and Amedeo Avogadro. A central contribution is his emphasis on the epistemic role of replication and experimental reconstruction, drawing on methodological debates influenced by thinkers connected to Karl Popper, Thomas Kuhn, and Imre Lakatos. Chang critiques simplistic forms of scientific realism and champions a practice-oriented approach resonant with scholars at the Institute for Science, Society and Policy and those influenced by Paul Feyerabend.

In chemistry, Chang has explored historical debates over concepts like heat, fire, and chemical elements, revisiting controversies involving Antoine Lavoisier and the phlogiston theory associated with Georg Ernst Stahl. He has investigated measurement controversies related to temperature scales and electrical units, engaging with work by Anders Celsius, Alessandro Volta, and James Clerk Maxwell. His work on the philosophy of experiment connects to contemporary discussions in journals and conferences organized by institutions such as the British Society for the History of Science and the American Philosophical Association.

Chang advocates for experimental replication as a historiographical and epistemological tool, collaborating with historians and practicing chemists to reconstruct historic apparatus and reactions. These reconstructions have involved archives and makerspaces linked to the Science Museum, London, the Chemical Heritage Foundation (now Science History Institute), and university laboratories. His stance influences debates about scientific method in relation to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entries on experiment and realism.

Major publications and books

Chang is the author and editor of influential monographs and collections that have shaped contemporary history and philosophy of chemistry. Major works include books addressing experimental practice, the history of thermometry and electrical measurement, and philosophical reflections on science. His publications engage with scholarly conversations in venues associated with Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and journals such as Isis and Studies in History and Philosophy of Science. He has produced critical editions and translations of historical texts, contributed chapters to volumes from publishers like Routledge and Springer, and edited special issues connected to conferences at institutions including Harvard University and Princeton University.

Awards and honours

Chang's scholarship has been recognized by prizes and fellowships from learned societies and funding bodies. He has received grants and awards tied to organizations such as the British Academy, the Royal Society, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (Canada), and international fellowships associated with the Max Planck Society. Chang has been elected to memberships and advisory roles in professional bodies like the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science, the British Society for the History of Science, and has been a keynote speaker at conferences held by American Historical Association-affiliated groups.

Category:Historians of science Category:Philosophers of science Category:People associated with University College London