• Participants
• Research
• Workshops
• Contact
• Schedule

Newsletter n°2 - October 2007

Report of the activities of the Anglo-Fench network on cultural transfers between Great-Britain and France

XIIth International Enlightenment Congress

The congress was organised by the International Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (SIEDS) in Montpellier from the 8th to 15th July of 2007 on the following theme : knowledge, techniques and cultures in the 18th century. A workshop about the constitution of scientific sociability was organised by Ann Thomson on July 10th. The aim was to understand how networks emerged, the modalities of exchanges and their material aspects, in the specific context of the diffusion of sciences and of the construction of a specific space of sociability for scholars. The specific cases of botany and medicine were discussed. Three papers were proposed by members of the network :
- Alexandra Cook : " Communicating science at a distance : Jean-Jacques Rousseau's botanical correspondence "
- Mariana Saad : " Autour du réseau Duquennoy, la correspondance britannique "
- Claire Crignon-De Oliveira : " le rôle des périodiques dans la diffusion des connaissances médicales en Angleterre et en Fance (fin XVII-début XVIIIe). Ann Thomson raised the question of possible reasons to explain the failure of a scholar to enter a network, quoting the case of Caspar Cuenz who desesperately tried to get into contact with the Royal Society or with key figures of the scientific world such as Formey, Bonnet and Euler. The question of networks was also at the center of debates in the three round tables organised by Irène Passeron on " the Republic of sciences ".

Workshop on networks, University of London in Paris, 4&5th September

- Research perspectives on networks Aims : this workshop, financed jointly by ANR and AHRC, is the fourth meeting uniting the whole Franco-British network, as well as external participants (Paola Zanardi, Siegfried Bodenmann and Alan MacInnes). The aim of this meeting was of course to progress in the study of Anglo-French networks and to question this notion, its importance for the study of transfers, and also to enlarge the field of reseach to other european countries (Switzerland, Italy). Transatlantic networks were also the subject of several papers. Networks were studied under various aspects (commercial, economic, political, religious, intellectual, cultural networks…). The complete programm of the workshop will soon be on line. Results : We present here some of the questions which appeared as central for the study of networks :
- What exactly do we mean by the term of " network " ? The notion is in fact not simply a metaphor. When we use the term, we need not only to speak about links beween several persons, but we should also try to measure the nature and intensity of these links (are they strong or weak ?) and to understand the nature of what is being exchanged (persons ? ideas ? books ? money ?). A quantitative approach must be extended to allow an evaluation of the quality of exchanges and of their aim. What is the difference between networks attached to institutions or more informal networks ? Finaly it appears necessary to question the impact of networks on the content and evolution of exchanges.
- At what point can we use the term network ? To show that therer are links between two or three people is not enough to justify the use of the term (we can simply speak of a circle or of exchanges between individuals). We need to have at least four people. The terms refers not necessarily to a well constituted network but may also refer to different levels of networks, in various fields, each level being used at different times.
- What is the status of different members of a network ? Is it possib le to study the constitution of network focusing on one personality, a key-figure who playded the role of intermediary, putting people in contact one with another (as Pierre Des Maizeaux, cf. E. Grist about his role in the Royal Society), or uses different types of networks according to his personal needs and ambition (cf. W. Playfair).
- What sources are to be studied ? correpondences, institutions, account books, editors notes, archives etc. ?
- what is the methodological status of this notion ? It seems necessary to distinguish what belongs to reality and what belongs to reconstruction (ideological, imaginative, historical). It is tempting to give retrospectivelly too much unity to networks. Some groups are sometimes labelled by their enemies as " networks ".
- Some communications presented research programme already financed by the AHRC : Allan MacInnes on jacobite networks presented some aspects of his research programme. Simon Burrows presented a research programm undertaken with Mark Curran on the typographic society of Neûchatel (1760-1780). The aim is to create a data-base of the book trade in the second part of the 18th century.
- E. de Champs presented an account of a conference on Lord Shelbourne which took place last summer (in memory of Derek Jarrett, author of The Begetters of Revolution. England's involvement with France, 1759-1789, London: Longman, 1973). Several members of the network offered papers on this occasion (R. Hammersley, E. Dziembowski, E. de Champs). Even if the theme of the conference was not " networks ", the study of this character led to the exploration of different strata or dimensions of his networks : personal and familial, political, financial, economical, cultural and religious ones.

Projects, future perspectives for the anglo-french network on cultural transfers

Next workshop : subject and directions of research of the next workshop were presented by F-J. Ruggiu, who is organizing it with E. de Champs and R. Hammersley. The question of " translations " appeared as a central theme of research after present workshop and the last ones. This is a multi-disciplinary topic which may concern all members of the group. Contributions to the workshop could be related to four principle strands : he first is the study of the evolution of the principles and methods of translation (la traductologie), the second strand concerns the genres that are translated, the third strand concernes the choice of the translator, personalitys…, the fourth will focuse on the content of translations and on the effects that follow the process of translation (the compleat research strands will be sent to each member of the group). The workshop will take place in Paris on March 27th and 28th. Proposals must be sent to the organizers before November the 1st.

Various questions

Transcription of letters from Charles de la Motte to Pierre Des Maizeaux by some members of the group advances well. First part of this work will be finished before december. Website : C. Crignon-De Oliveira asks members of the group to send her informations about conferences or publications about transfers so that these informations may be at the disposition of everybody on the website. Adress of the website : http://www.sllf.qmul.ac.uk/culturaltransfers/ Any information that could interest members of the group can be sent to this adress : crideo@free.fr

Publications, informations

- Recent publications relative to networks and cultural transfers Pierre-Yves Beaurepaire, Le mythe de l'Europe française au XVIIIe siècles, Diplomatie, culture et sociabilités au temps des Lumières, coll " Mémoires / Histoire ", éd. Autrement, Paris, 2007