The Relationship between History and Epistemology in Georges Canguilhem and Gaston Bachelard

Transversal: International Journal for the Historiography of Science 4:14 (2018)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

The article shows the strategic analogies, but also the differences between Bachelard and Canguilhem on the use of the history of science for epistemology. It emphasizes the importance of the ideology for Canguilhem, and the conceptual essence he recognizes in the history of science, which is read in its internal specific differences and in its complex articulations with life and reality. No concept, in fact, comes from nothing. The link between history and epistemology is not however of subjection, but of mutual influence. Canguilhem radicalizes the thought of Bachelard, and recognizes the historicity of every aspect of scientific knowledge, even of its less valued features and above all of errors. All aspects of Science are historical. The object of the history of science is not the object of the sciences, because it is always a discourse. This is why the history of science is inevitably linked to other forms of history. This opens up a pluralist conception of History and of Time, thinking of the sciences in their real body and no longer ideal or legal. Thus Canguilhem opens the way to the researches of Foucault and Serres.

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,593

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Narrative and epistemology: Georges Canguilhem's concept of scientific ideology.Cristina Chimisso - 2015 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A 54:64-73.
The tribunal of philosophy and its norms: History and philosophy in Georges Canguilhem's historical epistemology.C. Chimisso - 2003 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences 34 (2):297-327.
The Life Sciences and French Philosophy of Science: Georges Canguilhem on Norms.Cristina Chimisso - 2013 - In Hanne Andersen, Dennis Dieks, Wenceslao González, Thomas Uebel & Gregory Wheeler (eds.), New Challenges to Philosophy of Science. Springer Verlag. pp. 399--409.
A Plea for a Historical Epistemology of Research.Hans-Jörg Rheinberger - 2012 - Journal for General Philosophy of Science / Zeitschrift für Allgemeine Wissenschaftstheorie 43 (1):105-111.
Georges Canguilhem als Medizinhistoriker.Caspar Grond-Ginsbach - 1996 - Berichte Zur Wissenschaftsgeschichte 19 (4):235-244.
Gaston Bachelard and the Topicality of Historical Epistemology.Т.Д Соколова - 2016 - Epistemology and Philosophy of Science 48 (2):209-219.

Analytics

Added to PP
2018-06-15

Downloads
19 (#682,951)

6 months
2 (#668,348)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Citations of this work

No citations found.

Add more citations

References found in this work

Historical ontology.Ian Hacking - 2002 - Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
Les Mote et les Choses.Michel Foucault - 1969 - Revue de Métaphysique et de Morale 74 (2):250-251.
Le rationalisme appliqué.Gaston Bachelard - 1966 - Paris,: Presses universitaires de France.
L'activité rationaliste de la physique contemporaine.Gaston Bachelard - 1951 - Paris,: Presses universitaires de France.

View all 21 references / Add more references