Episode #122 - Michel Foucault Pt. 2 - The Order of Things
Episode #122 - Michel Foucault Pt. 2 - The Order of Things
This episode continues the exploration of Michel Foucault by examining how scientific knowledge is shaped not just by discovery, but by deep, often invisible cultural assumptions. Living in a time of great faith in science, Foucault challenged the idea that progress in fields like physics or biology leads to objective truth. Instead, he focused on epistemes—unconscious frameworks that shape what societies consider knowable or valid. Through works like The Order of Things and The Birth of the Clinic, he showed how institutions such as hospitals and prisons are influenced by shifting language and norms, not just function. Foucault distinguishes between repressive power (force) and normalizing power (internalized expectations), arguing that modern societies maintain control by shaping how people see themselves. Ultimately, he urges us to question the dominant narratives we take for granted, revealing them as historically contingent systems grounded in power.
Further Reading:
The Order of Things: An Archaeology of the Human Sciences by Michel Foucault (1970)
The History of Sexuality, Volume 1: An Introduction by Michel Foucault (1978)
Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed by James C. Scott (1998)
See the full transcript here.
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