

Bruno Latour - Scientific Humanities MOOC - a_olt
https://www.france-universite-numerique-mooc.fr/courses/SciencesPo/05004/Trimestre_1_2014/about

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crntaylor
Anyone thinking about taking this course should be aware that Bruno Latour is
not, and has never been, a scientist. He is in the same camp as Derrida, Lacan
and Foucault, in that he has a great deal to say about science but very little
experience of it.

He is the creator of 'Actor-Network Theory'. I summarize the introductory
paragraphs from Wikipedia, to give you a flavor.

    
    
      Actor–network theory is an approach to social theory and
      research, originating in the field of science studies, which treats
      objects as part of social networks. It can technically be described
      as a "material-semiotic" method. This means that it maps relations
      that are simultaneously material (between things) and semiotic 
      (between concepts). It assumes that many relations are both 
      material and semiotic.
    
      Broadly speaking, ANT is a constructivist approach in that it 
      avoids essentialist explanations of events or innovations (e.g. 
      explaining a successful theory by understanding the combinations 
      and interactions of elements that make it successful, rather than 
      saying it is “true” and the others are “false”). However, it is 
      distinguished from many other STS and sociological network theories 
      for its distinct material-semiotic approach.

