Faucault and Historically Conditoned Episteme: Possibilities for an Epistemological Project

Abstract

Foucault insists that his philosophical background is Kantian. What that means is that Foucault wants, just as Kant does, to examine limits and boundaries of reason. However, unlike Kant, he doesn't use methods of transcendental philosophy. As Foucault claims, his methods are rather guided by Nietzchean method of genealogy, i.e.lnvestigation of historical conditions for concrete bounds of rationality. In this work I will try to examine epistemological significance of these methods. Namely, taking into account that Foucault examines the limits created by historically conditioned episteme, the question Is how should epistemology work on lts own boundaries?