Knowledge as identity: an essay in genealogy

Abstract

In this research, we analyze the nexus between knowledge and identity as a problem of the sociology of knowledge. Our aim is to present the genealogical framework with the hypothesis that if we accept that knowledge is a multi-discursive phenomenon, then one way of justifying and stabilizing knowledge in social practices is through the concept of identity. We single out the problem of "locality" of discourses and practices and present the "genealogical paths" through which knowledge and identity are intertwined. Furthermore, our attempt is to identify the specific historical relations of knowledge and identity - through the discursive practices and especially in the context of Enlightenment and the claims for "universal knowledge" as part of the process of the formation of what could be called European identity.