Readings from and on Bruno Latour
Monday, May 18th, 2009This week we will read two essays with a focus on the work of Bruno Latour, French sociologist associated with ANT (Actor Network Theory). ANT is a methodology used by scholars and researchers predominantly involved in what is called ’science and technology studies’ to understand the relations between human and non-human actors, and how knowledge (especially technological and scientific knowledge) is both produced and how ideas discovered through these relations. In the essay included here, Latour continues the debate concerning the problems surrounding the critical project or ‘criticality’. Then, the article by Fallan gives a brief introduction to ANT as well as Latour’s work, and addresses why this material might be of relevance to architecture.
1. Bruno Latour, Why Has Critique Run Out of Steam?, in Critical Inquiry (Winter 2004).
Bruno Latour, Why has critique run out of steam
2. Kjetil Fallan, Architecture in Action: Traveling with Actor-Network Theory in the Land of Architectural Research, in Architecture Theory Review, 13:1 (2008).
Kjetil Fallan, Architecture in Action
