The Order of Things

Michel Foucault

Taylor & Francis, 2002 - Philosophy - 422 pages

When one defines "order" as a sorting of priorities, it becomes beautifully clear as to what Foucault is doing here. With virtuoso showmanship, he weaves an intensely complex history of thought. He dips into literature, art, economics and even biology in The Order of Things, possibly one of the most significant, yet most overlooked, works of the twentieth century. Eclipsed by his later work on power and discourse, nonetheless it was The Order of Thingsthat established Foucault's reputation as an intellectual giant. Pirouetting around the outer edge of language, Foucault unsettles the surface of literary writing. In describing the limitations of our usual taxonomies, he opens the door onto a whole new system of thought, one ripe with what he calls "exotic charm". Intellectual pyrotechnics from the master of critical thinking, this book is crucial reading for those who wish to gain insight into that odd beast called Postmodernism, and a must for any fan of Foucault.

What people are saying

Review: The Order of Things: An Archaeology of the Human Sciences

User Review  - Jill Hokanson - Goodreads

Well, I'm not very far, but the preface began with a long metaphor involving a Borges short story. That pretty much hooked me. The story mentions an encyclopedia that divides animals into those "(a ...

Review: The Order of Things: An Archaeology of the Human Sciences

User Review  - Tom Brashear - Goodreads

I am sentimental about this book because it was required reading for my college study abroad as a Landscape Architecture Student. That being said, it will make your brain hurt.

About the author

Michel Foucault (1926-84). Celebrated French thinker and activist who challenged people's assumptions about care of the mentally ill, gay rights, prisons, the police and welfare.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Order of Things; Routledge Classics; Routledge classics: Philosophy/History
• Author: Michel Foucault
• Edition: 2, illustrated, reprint, revised
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis, 2002
• ISBN: 0415267366, 9780415267366
• Length: 422 pages
• Subjects: Philosophy / General; Philosophy / History & Surveys / Modern; Reference / General; Social Science / Anthropology / Cultural; Social Science / Sociology / General