Bruno Latour

Research and Publications

Latour has written over 20 books along with over 150 articles. Some of his most famous books include We Have Never Been Modern, Science in Action, The Pasteurization of France, and Laboratory Life. Latour took part in a series of intellectuals debates known as the "science wars". During this time, Latour argued that scientific "facts" should be seen as a byproduct of scientific inquiry than objective, unfailing facts. He argued that faith is placed in science not because of the trueness of what scientific institutions say, but rather because scientific institutions say them. He described science as a battlefield, where theories rushed to gain supporters to overwhelm any competing theories (Kofman 2018). However Latour does not support climate change denial, flat earthers, or anti-vaxxers and is actively fighting against misguided pseudo-science. In an interview in 2017 Latour said; "Nothing that happened during the '90s deserves the name “war.” . . . We're in a totally different situation now. We are indeed at war. This war is run by a mix of big corporations and some scientists who deny climate change" (De Vrieze). Latour helped develop the actor-network theory, which argued that human connections with other humans are equally important as connections with animals and inanimate objects (Tesch 2021).

Reactions and Perceptions

Much of Latour' work has been very controversial and has been widely debated. Particularly, his publishes arguing for the "social constructionist" view that scientific facts were created from research was met with much opposition, particularly from many scientists and mathematicians. Many of his opinions and stances were misunderstood. During a debate, the physicist Alan Sokal thought that Latour and his associates thought that “the laws of physics are mere social conventions”, and invited him to jump from a high building to test his theory (Kofman 2018). Despite the controversies, Latour's approach was welcomed by many social scientists for "its fresh and innovative approach to the study of science" (Tesch 2021).

Awards

In 2013 Latour received the Ludvig Holberg International Memorial Prize, which can be thought of as a parallel to the Nobel Price for the field of social science and humanities. The award is given to "a scholar who has made outstanding contributions to research in the humanities, social science, law or theology" (Holbergprisen 2021). In 2021 Latour won the Kyoto Prize, which "honors individuals who have made significant contributions in the fields of science and technology, as well as arts and philosophy" (Inamori Foundation 2021). He was given the award for "Radically Re-examining “Modernity” by Developing a Philosophy that Focuses on Interactions Between Technoscience and Social Structure" (Inamori Foundation 2021). He has also received honorary degrees from the Universities of Lund, Montreal, Goteborg, Warwick, Edinburgh, and Leuwen (Latour 2011).

Learn More

Bruno Latour's Website: http://www.bruno-latour.fr/

An interview conducted by the Government of Norway: https://holbergprisen.no/en/holberg-prize/find-truth-situation-interview-bruno-latour

Transcript of an interview conducted by science.org: https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.358.6360.159

Latour's latest project: http://modesofexistence.org/

Works Cited

De Vrieze, Jop. October 13, 2017. "'Science wars' veteran has a new mission". Science. Retrieved November 5, 2021 (https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.358.6360.159)

Holbergprisen. 2021. "Holberg Prize". Retrieved November 5, 2021 (https://holbergprisen.no/en)

Inamori Foundation. 2021. "Kyoto Prize". Retrieved November 5, 2021 (https://www.kyotoprize.org/en/)

Kofman, Ava. October 25, 2018. "Bruno Latour, the Post-Truth Philosopher, Mounts a Defense of Science". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved November 5, 2o21 (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/25/magazine/bruno-latour-post-truth- philosopher-science.html)

Latour, Bruno. 2011. "Bruno Latour". bruno-latour.fr. Retrieved November 5, 2021 (http://www.bruno-latour.fr/index-2.html)

Tesch, Noah. June 18, 2021. "Bruno Latour". Britannica. Retrieved November 5, 2021 (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bruno-Latour)