Some scientists who attain eminence by the quality of their work also take leading positions in the scientific community and especially its institutions; and a few of those go on to act in the political sphere of their country. France is the nation in which this process has been most marked, or least infrequent. After the revolution of 1789 Lazare Carnot, Monge and Laplace held ministerial posts (and Lagrange was a senator), to be emulated later by Arago and Dupin.