Abstract

With the discovery of the Higgs boson, the last missing piece of the Standard Model of particle physics has been found. The “hunt” for the Standard Model particles has thus come to an end and new aims and challenges will take centre stage in the practice of particle physics: precision measurements of the Standard Model’s parameters, the search for particles beyond the Standard Model, motivated in part by cosmological evidence, and the exploration of yet uncharted experimental and theoretical territory. To meet these challenges ever more sophisticated and larger experimental facilities will be required as well as an ever more critical assessment of the virtues and shortcomings of various theoretical proposals. A better understanding of this new phase of particle physics calls for a concerted effort of physics and the social sciences reflecting on it. The summer school will bring together physicists, philosophers, historians and sociologists of science to address questions such as: - In which direction do particle physicists expect their field to evolve and what steps are taken to realize this? - How are their ideas and guiding principles embedded in the current concepts of philosophy of science? - What are the potentials and limitations of the complementing methods of particle physics and cosmology? - How did and will the status of experimental and theoretical knowledge change? - How and why did particle physics begin to require multi–billion Euro facilities and will it continue to do so?