The concept of the economist, rather than being a simple and evident one, is the object of numerous conflicting definitions. The example of the field of French economists, as analysed in a set of interviews and the observation of prospographical data, reveal certain characteristics of these conflicts. These struggles oppose those who detain differentiated forms of capital, which are themselves in correspondence with distinct positions in the field of power. These conflicts put into question both the autonomy and the structure of this scientific field. The relatively weak autonomy of the field of economical sciences is followed by a strong homology between the structure of this field and that of the field of French power in its entirety.
Economists; Economic Science; Scientific Field; Autonomy; Symbolic Struggles
