Professions and the French State, 1700-1900 (Anniversary Collection) - Hardcover

This collection of essays represents the first focused attempt to treat the professions in France as a single large historical problem. It is at once a contribution to the history of the professions and to the social history of France. The essays point toward a common conclusion: in the French context, by striking contrast to standard Anglo-American assumptions, professional "autonomy," power, and success virtually require "dependence" on the state.

Gerald L. Geison was Professor and Director of the Program in the History of Science at Princeton University.