Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Continental Philosophy of Social Science
- Introduction
- PART I THE TRADITION OF HERMENEUTICS
- PART II THE TRADITION OF GENEALOGY
- Introduction
- 6 The History of Genealogy: Nietzsche
- 7 Theory of Genealogy: Foucault
- 8 Applications of Genealogy
- PART III CRITICAL THEORY
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
Introduction
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 November 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Continental Philosophy of Social Science
- Introduction
- PART I THE TRADITION OF HERMENEUTICS
- PART II THE TRADITION OF GENEALOGY
- Introduction
- 6 The History of Genealogy: Nietzsche
- 7 Theory of Genealogy: Foucault
- 8 Applications of Genealogy
- PART III CRITICAL THEORY
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
The second part of Continental Philosophy of the Social Sciences broaches a further tradition of approaching understanding in the humanities. Whereas hermeneutics was principally concerned with interpretation, albeit of texts, historical events or cultural items, our new custom of analysis is concerned with a specific kind of historical approach to understanding. This is the tradition of ‘genealogy’.
The form of historical analysis that we are referring to here as ‘genealogy’ is one that originated with the highly unique German thinker Friedrich Nietzsche. It has been highly influential across the continental tradition of the human sciences. Most notably it has been taken up and deployed by the French intellectual Michel Foucault.
Genealogy has many differences from hermeneutics, both in its history, its intentions and in its practice. In contrast to hermeneutics, which is always seen as a rather conservative tradition, genealogy is often perceived to be quite radical. Hermeneutics seeks to conserve traditions and to form a unity with the past; genealogy challenges many traditional assumptions and encourages a rupture with the past. Hermeneutics on the one hand often looks with reverence to our ancestors, genealogy on the other hand seeks to de-legitimise many of our assumptions about our heritage.
Although this second tradition of approach to the study of the humanities is one, named by its creators, as ‘genealogy’, it is important to note from the outset that the way Nietzsche and Foucault use the notion of genealogy is quite distinct from its ordinary usage.
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- Information
- Continental Philosophy of Social Science , pp. 119 - 120Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2005