The linguistic fault: The case of Foucault's archaeology

Abstract It is argued that the concept of discursive formation presented by Foucault provides the means whereby conventional treatments of ‘discourse’ can be criticized. These would include historical, linguistic and epistemological forms of investigation. But it is also argued that Foucault does not sufficiently displace linguistic categories. As a result his account of the theoretical problems of ‘conditions of existence’ of discourses cannot be sustained.