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Mini colloquiums abstract > MC26: The use of French in physics

Mini-colloque 26 – MC26


Physics in French: coquetry or necessity?
Commission Culture scientifique
Daniel Hennequin (Université de Lille)

 

“Language isn't just a means of communication, it's the bearer of a culture and a singular vision of the world. A language is not a different way of designating the same things, it's a different point of view on those things”. This reflection by philologist Barbara Cassin, gold medalist of the CNRS, extracted from an interview given to the Journal du CNRS (19/11/2014), was an element of response to the question “Is it desirable to impose a single language on the human sciences, as English has imposed itself on the hard sciences?”.
Does this not raise the question of the role of language in physics? In France, physics has to deal with two languages: international English and French. But isn't the ever-increasing decline in the use of French in the world of research threatening to undermine the dissemination of scientific culture, which is conducted in French? And even, ultimately, to a certain “French” vision of the world? What language problems do physicists encounter?
The call for papers is open to all physicists wishing to express their views on this subject.

 

 
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