Philosophical Genealogy

Philosophical genealogy constitutes a mode of inquiry that investigates either (a) the historical emergence of contemporary ideas, institutions, religions, moral norms, and even affective dispositions by tracing them to the intersection of diverse and often heterogeneous historical practices, beliefs, customs, and technologies or (b) demonstrates how a phenomenon could have emerged by providing a pragmatic reconstruction of the object under investigation. The following entry endeavors to explore various formulations of the genealogical method.