Henning Schmidgen
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780823263691
- eISBN:
- 9780823266555
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823263691.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Science
The French philosopher and sociologist Bruno Latour (*1947) is a major figure of contemporary thought. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the Latourian oeuvre, from his early ...
More
The French philosopher and sociologist Bruno Latour (*1947) is a major figure of contemporary thought. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the Latourian oeuvre, from his early anthropological studies in Abidjan (Ivory Coast) to his influential books like Laboratory Life and Science in Action and his most recent reflections on an empirical metaphysics of “modes of existence.” The book argues that the basic problem to which Latour’s work responds is that of social tradition, i.e. the complex relationship of culture, knowledge, and time. It shows that Latour’s understanding of this problem is deeply informed by his early involvement with Biblical exegesis, in particular the work of the German theologian Rudolf Bultmann. Against this background, the book questions the innovative potential of actor-network theory (ANT) and the fruitfulness of Latour’s philosophical attempts to understand the plurality of “modes of existence.”Less
The French philosopher and sociologist Bruno Latour (*1947) is a major figure of contemporary thought. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the Latourian oeuvre, from his early anthropological studies in Abidjan (Ivory Coast) to his influential books like Laboratory Life and Science in Action and his most recent reflections on an empirical metaphysics of “modes of existence.” The book argues that the basic problem to which Latour’s work responds is that of social tradition, i.e. the complex relationship of culture, knowledge, and time. It shows that Latour’s understanding of this problem is deeply informed by his early involvement with Biblical exegesis, in particular the work of the German theologian Rudolf Bultmann. Against this background, the book questions the innovative potential of actor-network theory (ANT) and the fruitfulness of Latour’s philosophical attempts to understand the plurality of “modes of existence.”
Henning Schmidgen
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780823263691
- eISBN:
- 9780823266555
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823263691.003.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Science
The introduction spells out the general argument of the book. It presents Latour not as a sociologist and/or anthropologist but as an “empirical philosopher” crucially interested in the problem of ...
More
The introduction spells out the general argument of the book. It presents Latour not as a sociologist and/or anthropologist but as an “empirical philosopher” crucially interested in the problem of tradition. It shows that, via Latour’s academic teacher André Malet, the practice of Biblical exegesis developed by Rudolf Bultmann had a major impact on the development of actor-network theory (ANT). It also points out that Latour’s writings reflect an almost continuous but somewhat half-hearted dialogue with the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari.Less
The introduction spells out the general argument of the book. It presents Latour not as a sociologist and/or anthropologist but as an “empirical philosopher” crucially interested in the problem of tradition. It shows that, via Latour’s academic teacher André Malet, the practice of Biblical exegesis developed by Rudolf Bultmann had a major impact on the development of actor-network theory (ANT). It also points out that Latour’s writings reflect an almost continuous but somewhat half-hearted dialogue with the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari.
