The Order of Things
Foucault compares historical configurations organizing knowledge of language, living beings and wealth. He describes the modern emergence of man as both object and subject of knowledge without predicting humanity’s biological disappearance.
Understanding the text
Published in 1966 and opened by a reading of Velázquez’s Las Meninas, the work investigates breaks in the order of knowledge. Its grouping of periods has prompted historical criticism.
Key points
- 01
Episteme
A historical configuration makes certain classifications and relations thinkable across several fields.
- 02
Human sciences
The human being becomes both an empirical object and a condition of knowledge.
- 03
Limits
The famous “death of man” concerns a historical figure of knowledge, not extinction of the species.
How to read it
Read the Las Meninas opening, then compare one example about language with one about life.
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 ↗