The Archaeology of Knowledge
Foucault clarifies his method for analyzing discourse through statements, archives and discursive formations. He asks how historical rules organize what can be said rather than seeking one hidden intention behind each text.
Understanding the text
Published in 1969 after several historical studies, it reformulates and revises earlier approaches. Archive also names a historical system of statements, not merely a repository of documents.
Key points
- 01
Statement
A proposition functions within practices and conditions of appearance.
- 02
Formation
Regularities connect objects, concepts and speaking positions without necessarily forming a coherent doctrine.
- 03
Archive
Possibilities of speaking and preserving vary according to historical rules.
Explore the ideas in depth
Exploring archives
Examine statements and historical rules in The Archaeology of Knowledge.
Situating the text
Published in 1969 after several historical studies, it reformulates and revises earlier approaches. Archive also names a historical system of statements, not merely a repository of documents. Foucault clarifies his method for analyzing discourse through statements, archives and discursive formations. He asks how historical rules organize what can be said rather than seeking one hidden intention behind each text.
Following the arguments
Statement : A proposition functions within practices and conditions of appearance. Formation : Regularities connect objects, concepts and speaking positions without necessarily forming a coherent doctrine. Archive : Possibilities of speaking and preserving vary according to historical rules.
Continuing the reading
Choose a concrete example and distinguish an isolated sentence from its function within a documentary field. Published in 1969 after several historical studies, it reformulates and revises earlier approaches. Archive also names a historical system of statements, not merely a repository of documents.
Questions to carry into your reading
- Who is able to speak in the documents being studied?
- What rule connects this statement to other documents of its period?
A statement acquires meaning within practices and documents.
How to read it
Choose a concrete example and distinguish an isolated sentence from its function within a documentary field.
Editions & sources
Summaries and key points are original editorial interpretations. They accompany reading the work and do not replace an edition of the text. Editorial method ↗