Organiser l’entreprise tel le corps humain : les prémices de la pensée organiciste chez les ingénieurs civils (1829-1888)

The text examines the emergence of organicist thinking among French civil engineers between 1829 and 1888, partly breaking with the dominant mechanistic and positivist view of industry. Instead of focusing exclusively on machines, some engineers gradually integrated the management of workers as a central element of industrial organization, conceiving the firm as a living organism. Influenced by thinkers such as Saint-Simon, Comte, and Spencer, this approach was rooted in the practical experience of coal mines and state arms manufactories. The identified pioneers (Brard, Ponson, Marsaut, Burat, Fayol, and Ply) developed an empirical reflection on hierarchy, chains of command, individual responsibility, and coordination. They paid particular attention to the management of the workers' social body, combining formal regulations with controlled autonomy and systems of self-regulation. Information flows, codification of practices, and written procedures became key tools of organizational governance. Finally, these engineers emphasized the importance of training—especially that of supervisors—as a crucial condition for efficiency and stability in large industrial enterprises.