BRUNO LATOUR on TECHNOLOGY and CLIMATE CHANGE
The French philosopher Bruno Latour is one of the most influential thinkers in the philosophy of technology and science studies.
Latour fundamentally changed how we think about technology—not as passive tools or applied science, but as active participants in shaping society.
Through his development of Actor-Network Theory (ANT), Latour argued that nonhumans—machines, devices, algorithms—have agency and must be considered as co-actors in the networks that produce knowledge, power, and action.
In works like We Have Never Been Modern (1990) and Aramis (1993), Latour explored how technologies are never neutral: they are socially negotiated, materially embedded, and politically charged. He challenged us to rethink the boundaries between nature and society, humans and artifacts.
In his later life, Latour turned his attention increasingly toward the ecological crisis, arguing that climate change is not only a scientific or political issue but a profound transformation of our shared world. In books like Facing Gaia (2015) and Down to Earth (2018), he called for new ways of thinking about territory, responsibility, and coexistence in a time of planetary upheaval.
Latour fundamentally changed how we think about technology—not as passive tools or applied science, but as active participants in shaping society.
Through his development of Actor-Network Theory (ANT), Latour argued that nonhumans—machines, devices, algorithms—have agency and must be considered as co-actors in the networks that produce knowledge, power, and action.
In works like We Have Never Been Modern (1990) and Aramis (1993), Latour explored how technologies are never neutral: they are socially negotiated, materially embedded, and politically charged. He challenged us to rethink the boundaries between nature and society, humans and artifacts.
In his later life, Latour turned his attention increasingly toward the ecological crisis, arguing that climate change is not only a scientific or political issue but a profound transformation of our shared world. In books like Facing Gaia (2015) and Down to Earth (2018), he called for new ways of thinking about territory, responsibility, and coexistence in a time of planetary upheaval.
