Des Hautes Terres de Madagascar et des réformes qu'il conviendrait d'y mettre en œuvre

On the Malagasy highlands and the reforms which should be implemented therein.- J.-P. Raison's thesis endeavours to explain the apparent anomalies of the human settlements on the Malagasy plateau: how did the cold and relatively poor Merina and Betsileo highlands come to be so densely populated while more hospitable neighbouring land of easy access remained empty? A purely geographical explanation does not account for a phenomenon which must be dealt with in a more general way, through an approach embracing both historical and anthropological factors, before as well as after the colonial intrusion. J.-P. Raison, in this work, departs from the usual, so-called "objective" (or purely descriptive) attitude of the social scientist insofar as he ventures to suggest practical, concrete solutions -- without much hope of seeing them put to effect.