Louis Althusser, Georges Canguilhem:Ideology and Normality

Georges Canguilhem (1904-1995) was a renowned historian of science who argued that the practice of science implies philosophy and, thus, scientists who fail to question their philosophical principles inevitably reproduce the dominant philosophical system of their age. In opposition to the idea that science uncovers a pre-existing truth, Canguilhem asserts that scientists produce truth. Therefore, the products of scientists\u27 labor are social constructs, reflecting the norms governing a given society. In my research project, I will be delineating the effects of Canguilhem\u27s work on Althusser\u27s concept of ideology as material practice rather than illusion. Using Althusser\u27s unpublished notes on Canguilhem (located at the Althusser archives in Paris), I will explore how his relationship with Canguilhem effects the task of re-reading Althusser\u27s central concept of ideology