Episteme
/ˌɛpɪˈstiːmiː/noun
A system or body of knowledge; in philosophy, the underlying framework that defines what counts as knowledge in a given era.
Did you know?In Foucault’s usage, episteme is not just knowledge but the invisible historical grid that decides which truths can exist at all.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weid-
“to see, know”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἐπίσταμαι (epístamai)
“I know, understand; I am acquainted with”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἐπιστήμη (epistḗmē)
“knowledge, skill, understanding; scientific knowledge”
Late Antiquity / Medieval Greek
Greek
ἐπιστήμη
“knowledge, learning, science”
Modern English
English
episteme
“a body or system of knowledge, especially the theoretical basis of knowledge in a field”