Epistemes Transform Knowledge Across Eras

Changes in epistemes have a profound and transformative impact on the entire framework of scientific inquiry, far exceeding the influence of paradigm shifts that usually affect only specific fields. Epistemes serve as foundational beliefs or assumptions that shape how knowledge is constructed and understood within a given historical period. For instance, during the seventeenth century, figures like Hobbes and Bacon were influenced by an episteme centered on the search for resemblances, which guided their approach to understanding the world. This emphasis on similarity among species, diseases, and ideas defined the intellectual landscape of the Renaissance and illustrates how an episteme impacts the entire spectrum of knowledge and inquiry.