22. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION 

 OF THE STUDY OF THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE 



The first international organization for the study of the history of science was the 

 History of Science Society founded in Boston, Massachusetts, on 12 January 1924 at 

 the initiative of David Eugene Smith (1860-1944), about whose hfe and work see 

 Osiris 1, 1936. The society was estabhshed primarily in order to promote the 

 journal Isis, which had been founded by George Sarton in 1913 and was then in 

 jeopardy. Isis was always an international journal published in the six international 

 languages (EFGILS), but during the first years of its existence, when its editor lived 

 in Belgium, the French language was naturally predominant; later, when the editor 

 settled in the United States and the responsibility of publication was partly taken over 

 by the History of Science Society, English became the main language. Nevertheless, 

 Isis has always preserved its international character; its subtitle reads "an interna- 

 tional review devoted to the history of science and civilization." It is an inter- 

 national journal pubHshed mainly in English, which is the language of greatest inter- 

 national currency. 



It is a mistake to confuse internationalism with polyglottism. Consider the 

 query: Which journal is likely to be the most international, the one (A) written al- 

 most exclusively in English, or the other (B) written in six languages (EFGILS): 

 Will more readers of more nations read (B) than (A)? By reading, we mean of 

 course reading the whole of it, or at least most of it. Obviously, there are far more 

 people all over the world capable of reading English, than there are people capable 

 of reading Engfish, plus French, German, Italian, Latin and Spanish. Yet, some 

 men are not satisfied with those six languages; they would want the addition of other 

 languages, particularly of their own; they are like those idiots who would want the 

 international express to stop in their own bailiwick. If all those wishes were granted, 

 the famous express would become an omnibus train. If too many languages are 

 used, nobody is properly served. 



The History of Science Society, however, is less international than its own organ 

 Isis. Indeed, that organ can circulate equally well everywhere, and it can find 

 readers and collaborators in many nations; the nationality of an author has never 

 been considered by the editor, that would be irrelevant to his purpose. On the 

 other hand, the majority of members and officers of the History of Science Society 

 dwell in the United States. Its annual meetings have always taken place in the 

 United States, and it cannot help being more sensitive to American than to foreign 

 opinions. As far as location is concerned, one must bear in mind that every inter- 

 national society is obliged to have a central office within the territory of a definite 

 nation, and it is submitted because of that to more influences emanating from that 

 nation than from any other. 



Perhaps the fairest summary of the matter would be to say that the History of 

 Science Society, in spite of its being born in a foreign cradle, is a national society. 

 It is a national society with genuine international concerns, and its foreign member- 

 ship is relatively large.*** 



We may now consider another organization, primarily and deliberately inter- 

 national, the Academie Internationale d'Histoire des Sciences, the existence of which 

 we owe to the foresight and devotion of Audo Mieli.^"" The latte had organized 

 in 1927 a committee which arranged for the discussion of the subject at the Inter- 

 national Historical Congress of Oslo in 1928. The section of the history of science 



^ The number of articles in Isis devoted to "American science" is remarkably small. The 

 editor is always pleased to include such articles but makes no efiFort to increase their number. His 

 point of view is international. 



'Tor Aldo Mieli (1879-1950), see Isis 41, 57, with portrait, and the biography by his 

 successor Pierre Sergescu in the Archives Internationales d'histoire des sciences (29, 519-35, 

 1950), with portrait. 



