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From Words to Systems: A Shift in Epistemes and the Rise of
Information
Good morning, everyone. In our class today, we are going to discuss the shift from the
modern episteme to a new episteme as described in Pablo Manolo Rodríguez's book Las
palabras en las cosas. To understand this shift, it is important to first understand the
characteristics of the modern episteme.
● The modern episteme is built upon the notion of representation. According to

Foucault, this episteme emerged between the late 18th and early 19th centuries in
Europe when representations of things separated from the things themselves. This
separation marked a departure from the classical episteme where words and images
were considered an intrinsic part of the things they represented.
● This shift resulted in a focus on three key areas: life, labor, and language. These
areas represent gaps in representation that the modern episteme sought to fill.
● The study of these areas led to the development of the human sciences, which
focused on the human experience of life, labor, and language. However, these
sciences were limited by the analytic of finitude, the recognition that human
understanding is always limited by the historical context in which it arises.
● As the human sciences progressed, the focus shifted from understanding functions to
understanding norms, from analyzing conflicts to establishing rules, and from
exploring signification to defining systems.
● This development led to the rise of structuralism, which posited that human
experience is shaped by underlying structures. The structuralist view is exemplified
by Lévi-Strauss's statement that "the goal of the human sciences is not to know man,
but to dissolve him."
● Structuralism faced criticism for its perceived disregard for history. However,
Foucault argues that the issue is not a lack of awareness of history but rather the
realization that the human sciences cannot rely solely on historical analysis.
● The rise of structuralism also led to the emergence of counter-human sciences like
ethnology and psychoanalysis, which used linguistics as a model to understand
aspects of human experience that defied explanation within the traditional human
sciences.
Rodríguez, following the ideas of Gilles Deleuze, argues that a new episteme has been
emerging, moving away from the focus on the "figure of man" and toward a new
understanding of life, labor, and language. This new episteme is characterized by:
● Dispersion and regrouping of life and labor: The once-unified concepts of life and
labor have been fragmented into different branches. Life is now studied through fields
like genetics, immunology, and cognitive sciences, while labor has been dispersed
through automation and robotics.
● The rise of information and communication: Information has become a central
organizing principle in these new fields, leading to a re-grouping of life and labor
around concepts like genetic code and machine code.
● Shift from finite to finite-unlimited: While the modern episteme focused on the
limitations of human understanding, the new episteme recognizes the vast potential of
information to create a practically unlimited number of combinations from a finite set
of components.
● Emergence of the "superhuman": This new episteme suggests a shift away from the
"figure of man" towards a new form, neither God nor man, that embraces the
possibilities of information and its influence on life, labor, and language.
This new episteme has also led to the emergence of societies of control as described by
Deleuze. These societies are characterized by:
● Crisis of confinement: Traditional institutions like factories, hospitals, and schools

are losing their power to shape subjectivities.
● Rise of open-air surveillance: New technologies enable constant monitoring and
modulation of individuals without the need for physical confinement.
● Shift from molding to modulation: Instead of shaping individuals according to fixed
norms, societies of control rely on continuous modulation, adapting and reshaping
individuals through information and feedback loops.
In conclusion, we are witnessing a profound shift in epistemes, marked by the rise of

information and communication, the dispersion and regrouping of life and labor, and the
emergence of new forms of control and individuation. This shift poses new challenges and
opportunities for understanding the human condition in the 21st century.

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From Words to Systems: A Shift in Epistemes and the Rise of

● The modern episteme is built upon the notion of representation. According to

● Crisis of confinement: Traditional institutions like factories, hospitals, and schools

In conclusion, we are witnessing a profound shift in epistemes, marked by the rise of

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