Abstract

This article aims to reconstruct the genealogy of two basic notions characterizing the historiographical approach of Foucault’s philosophy: namely the “discontinuity” and the “event”. The chosen critical path shows that such fundamental problems move from Bachelard’s historical epistemology. Questioning the discontinuous development of the science characterized by the relationship between epistemological “obstacle” and “rupture”, Bachelard suggests the necessity to rethink the meaning of rationality in the light of scientific transformations. Foucault implements a radical change of Bachelard’s statement, which led him up to consider the problem of the “emergency” of the event and, in this way, to make “evenemential” the historical reason. The conclusions point up the need to rethink the relationship between history and subject within Foucault’s thought