Publisher's Synopsis
A wide range of the authorÆs previously published papers in the history of science is brought together in this book. - - The articles, which are mainly concerned with the 18th and 19th centuries, are arranged in three sections: science in the Enlightenment period; science in an institutional context; national and international science. Some of the papers present a broad perspective, others are of a more detailed nature, drawing on the archives of the Paris Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society of London. An original interpretation of the career of Priestley is followed by a historiographical article on Lavoisier. Papers with a more social approach include subjects such as the professionalisation of science, peer review, and science and war. It is argued that science became a profession in France long before it did in Britain. France also created an important precedent in the academic world in demanding publications of research as credentials.
