Kangilehm and Foucault were representatives of a great era of modern thought, from which we still depend today, despite trends and ephemeral enthusiasms. I hope I have contributed, even slightly, to maintaining an interest in these two intersecting projects, for which I am convinced remain essential both for the theoretical understanding of our present and for its practical transformation, at a time when, more than ever, we need strong concepts to orient ourselves in the world and in thought.

(From the author's preface to the Greek edition)

What are rules? Why does social life confront rules? Where do they draw their power from? From life, explains Kangilehm. From something that, for Foucault, could be called history. In what way do life and history practically combine their action? This is the question that Kangilehm and Foucault, two of the leading thinkers of the 20th century who were in continuous dialogue, did not cease to return to.

Five texts by Pierre Masehret examine how the theme of rules evolved in Kangilehm and Foucault. Three additional texts, added to the Greek edition, explore the broader philosophical and epistemological implications of the projects of Kangilehm and Foucault.

[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]