What we thought was certainly sweet in taste might begin to seem sour before seeming sweet again. What once appeared square might now appear oblong or round, even though our perspective has not changed. What was once loneliness might suddenly become joyful solitude before transforming back into loneliness.
It is not necessarily the case that our experiences are changing in these situations, but only that the applicable category in language seems to shift and we are inclined to describe the experience differently. When this happens we can feel frustration at our inability to accurately translate our perceptions into words.
But all that is happening is that we are realizing something about the nature of language. We are learning that its categories are not as clear or distinct as they might seem. Using language is always messy, with regular overlap in the meanings of words, which means our attempts at description are always only attempts.
Poststructuralism as a Regime of Truth: Foucault and the Paradox of Philosophical Authority
Foucault’s critique of power and knowledge shaped poststructuralism, yet its rejection of truth risks becoming its own orthodoxy. To remain...