Du dépaysement, ou l’impossible fabrique du savoir

The article focuses on the epistemological and methodological questions typical of a scientific mission, looking particularly at the case of Joseph de Jussieu, a doctor-botanist who left for America in 1735, leaving only scattered letters and manuscripts from his trip. From his earliest investigations, Jussieu had difficulty in providing real scientific results on the botany of the country. As the years went by and his inner disorientation progressed, he stopped sending scholarly information in his letters, thus transforming his trip into a long stay.