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1、Publisher'sNoteAliteraltranslationofthetitleoftheFrencheditionofthiswork(LesMotsetleschoses)wouldhavegivenrisetoconfusionwithtwootherbooksthathavealreadyappearedunderthetitleWordsandthings.ThepublisherthereforeagreedwiththeauthoronthealternativetitleTheorderofthings,whichwas,infact,M.Foucault'sorigi
2、nalpreference.Inviewoftherangeofliteraturereferredtointhetext,ithasnotprovedfeasibleineverycasetoundertakethebibliographicaltaskoftracingEnglishtranslationsofworksoriginatinginotherlanguagesandlocatingthepassagesquotedbyM.Foucault.Thepublisherhasaccordinglyretainedtheauthor'sreferencestoFrenchworksa
3、ndtoFrenchtransla•tionsofLatinandGermanworks,forexample,buthas,asfaraspossible,citedEnglisheditionsofworksoriginallywritteninthatlanguage.viiiForewordtotheEnglisheditionThisforewordshouldperhapsbeheaded'DirectionsforUse'.Notbe•causeIfeelthatthereadercannotbetrusted-heis,ofcourse,freetomakewhathewill
4、ofthebookhehasbeenkindenoughtoread.WhatrighthaveI,then,tosuggestthatitshouldbeusedinonewayratherthananother?WhenIwaswritingitthereweremanythingsthatwerenotcleartome:someoftheseseemedtooobvious,otherstooobscure.SoIsaidtomyself:thisishowmyidealreaderwouldhaveapproachedmybook,ifmyintentionshadbeenclear
5、erandmyprojectmorereadytotakeform.i.Hewouldrecognizethatitwasastudyofarelativelyneglectedfield.InFranceatleast,thehistoryofscienceandthoughtgivesprideofplacetomathematics,cosmology,andphysics-noblesciences,rigoroussciences,sciencesofthenecessary,allclosetophilosophy:onecanobserveintheirhistorythealm
6、ostuninterruptedemergenceoftruthandpurereason.Theotherdisciplines,however-those,forexample,thatconcernlivingbeings,languages,oreconomicfacts-areconsideredtootingedwithempiricalthought,tooexposedtothevagariesofchanceorimagery,toage-oldtraditionsandexternalevents,forittobesupposedthattheirhistorycould
7、beanythingotherthanirregular.Atmost,theyareexpectedtoprovideevidenceofastateofmind,anintellectualfashion,amixtureofarchaismandboldconjecture,ofintuitionandblindness.Butwhatifempiricalknowledge,atagive
