Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-2024
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1057/s41296-024-00715-y
Abstract
Today most critical theorists who deploy history use a genealogical method forged by Nietzsche and Foucault. This genealogical approach now dominates historically inflected critique. But not all genealogical writings today, nor all philosophical debates surrounding genealogy, advance the goals of critical philosophy. It is crucial now that we assess the value of genealogical critiques. The proper metric against which to evaluate such work is whether it contributes to transforming ourselves, others, and society in a valuable way. In this article, I propose that we use the term “critical genealogy” to identify those genealogical practices that positively nourish our activity and, thereby, advance the ambition of critical philosophy.
Disciplines
Genealogy | Law | Law and Politics | Legal Theory | Political Theory
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Bernard E. Harcourt,
On Critical Genealogy,
Contemp. Pol. Theory
(2024).
Available at:
https://scholarship.law.columbia.edu/faculty_scholarship/4521
Included in
Genealogy Commons, Law and Politics Commons, Legal Theory Commons, Political Theory Commons