A course on the history, philosophy, and sociology of soil science

Studying the history, philosophy, and sociology of a scientific discipline can improve science students’ understanding of their field. Despite this, courses in the history, philosophy, and sociology of soil science are rarely offered. To improve soil science graduate education, Southern Illinois University Carbondale offered a course titled “History and Philosophy of Soil Science” for the first time in the Fall 2025 semester. The course covers international history, United States history, and the history of select specific areas in the first 8.5 weeks of the semester. The next 5.5 weeks are devoted to philosophy and sociology topics. Philosophical discussions include what makes soil science unique as a scientific discipline, where soil science fits within the sciences and academia, and how advances in soil science can be viewed from the perspective of major philosophical theories about how science advances. Sociological discussions focus on demonstrating the strong connections between soil science and society and understanding how those connections can enhance our effectiveness as scientists. The semester ends with a week of student presentations on historical figures in soil science. Students who write a strong term paper on their historical figure are encouraged to publish their work and are mentored through the process. After the first offering, we will rearrange some of the sociology and philosophy sections. This paper is offered as a template for and encouragement to others interested in offering a similar course at their university, although modifications would need to be made, particularly to the history content, for other countries.