ABSTRACT
One of the main aims of this paper is to improve our understanding of the history of science and historical studies. Regarding the development of some scientific disciplines, what we sometimes know or we believe we know is not what actually happened. The modern organisation of knowledge and the structure of the teaching and research little help narrow this gap between science as it is actually made and the dominant perception of its development. The history of astronomy, which is taken as an example, is one of the most studied scientific disciplines. Yet there is no comprehensive work on the history of its development because of the significant gaps which are still not filled. It is a project which has not yet sufficiently drawn the attention of the scientific community, because such work requires an intercultural and collective effort. This is why I refer to the pioneering work of the nineteenth century French historian to illustrate my point.
