ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses historians of philosophy and historians of science; they were certainly not alone in studying the mind through history, nor indeed in aiming at writing the history of the mind. It focuses on two members of the Centre de synthse who were among the main protagonists of the set of projects: Hlne Metzger and Alexandre Koyr. It is widely accepted that the French tradition of the philosophy of science significantly differs from its Anglo-American counterpart. Similarly, Dominique Lecourt, in his French-language presentation of the French tradition' of philosophy of science, has emphasized its originality and its separation from logical positivism. The political and ethical beliefs of the main scholars discussed will receive due attention, especially in their potential connections with their philosophies.