Open events

Long hailed as “primarily a historian of science” (Gutting 1989, p. 32) whose work in this field is “limited to a particular domain” (Foucault, 1985, p. 3), Georges Canguilhem’s writings have often been contrasted with those of Gaston Bachelard, deemed more philosophical, and with those of Michel Foucault, oriented more directly toward social and political issues (for a critique see Roth 2013). The limited availability of Canguilhem’s work to his students and colleagues during his lifetime, both in France and abroad, was also frequently interpreted through the lens of his later writings in history and philosophy of science.

This Drake Lecture will correct this and other misinterpretations of his contributions and will present some surprising discoveries made possible by the publication of his Complete Works between 2011 and 2025 that challenge received historiography.