Georges Canguilhem Quotes

France, Philosopher
June 4, 1904 – September, 11, 1995.

Georges Canguilhem was a French philosopher and physician who specialized in epistemology and the philosophy of science. Canguilhem entered the École Normale Supérieure in 1924 as part of a class that included Jean-Paul Sartre, Raymond Aron and Paul Nizan. He aggregated in 1927 and then taught in lycées throughout France, taking up the study of medicine while teaching in Toulouse.

An anomaly is not an abnormality. Diversity does not signify sickness.

Georges Canguilhem
In truth, one cannot, it seems, oppose mechanism and finalism, one cannot oppose mechanism and anthropomorphism, for if the functioning of a machine is explained by relations of pure causality, the construction of a machine can be understood neither without purpose nor without man. A machine is made by man and for man, with a view toward certain ends to be obtained, in the form of effects to be produced.

Georges Canguilhem
- Purpose
- Relations
- Oppose