I valori, la tecnica e l'errore. Canguilhem e lo statuto della conoscenza scientifica

Georges Canguilhem’s philosophical thought includes, among its main themes, a focus on the question of values, traces of which the attentive reader can find in his epistemological essays and the genealogies present in his studies on the history of science. Thanks also to his Œuvres Complètes, it is possible to trace this line of thought right from his early writings, which indicates a certain continuity in his approach to these issues. In this regard, this paper offers an analysis of the relationship between scientific discourse and the axiological dimension, which, through the value of truth, constitutes the very foundation of knowledge. According to the French philosopher, this value establishes the distinction between knowledge, strictly speaking, and other discursive orders. By reconstructing the network of possible influences that shaped Canguilhem’s thought – as in the case of Alain and Nietzsche – we aim to highlight the originality of his philosophical position. To complete the picture of the epistemological question, we analyse certain theses concerning the epistemological status of technology. Finally, the aim is to outline the profile of an original philosophical proposal, which for a long time has been hidden behind the erudition of the history of science.