After Disciplines? Critical Activity as Encyclopaideia

In this article I critically discuss the ambiguous notion of 'discipline' and the related constructions of inter-, multi-, post- disciplinarity, from an epistemic and socio-political point of view. Partucularly, I focus on the role of 'power' and 'authority', and on the consequences that follow by assuming a ''foudationalist' or 'post-foundationalist' approach. Next, assuming a "critical theory' perspective, I try to rethink the meaning of a 'critical activity' able to generate a real social and epistemic change. I contend that a new discipline of thought is needed rather than new disciplines, and a new personal attitude carachterised by a serious concern for the role of generalization or theory aimed at putting culture in circle ('encyclopaideia') by sistematically discontinuing events of subjectification.