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81st out of 96 books
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20 voters
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Science in Action: How to Follow Scientists and Engineers Through Society
by
Bruno Latour
Science and technology have immense authority and influence in our society, yet their working remains little understood. The conventional perception of science in Western societies has been modified in recent years by the work of philosophers, sociologists and historians of science. In this book Bruno Latour brings together these different approaches to provide a lively an
...morePaperback, 288 pages
Published
October 15th 1988
by Harvard University Press
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One of my favorite books.
It approaches the process of the progress of science and the development of "facts" from the human and social perspective. Latour starts out the book by chronicling the discovery of DNA and the development of the Eclipse MV/8000 computer. He shows how "facts" are black boxes that become fact through a process of competition that involves building networks of references until people start to refer to your theory as a fact and use it to buil...more
It approaches the process of the progress of science and the development of "facts" from the human and social perspective. Latour starts out the book by chronicling the discovery of DNA and the development of the Eclipse MV/8000 computer. He shows how "facts" are black boxes that become fact through a process of competition that involves building networks of references until people start to refer to your theory as a fact and use it to buil...more
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An intriguing concept that for some people is tantamount to sacrilege: the social construction of science. Latour's take on the sociology of science is a topic that is controversial to even teach in some universities due to the unpopular idea that science is no more above social influence than anything else. Latour challenges the Baconian method of teaching science, asserting that nothing in science, even the "black boxes," are as pure and clear cut as we are led to believe. Latour use...more
A seminal work on the way in which scientists construct facts. Latour develops an account of a complex process that entangles the personal and political investments of the scientist, interactions among other (often competing) scientists, the influence of funding agencies and other institutions, the intellectual convictions of the scientist, and the technical dance between the scientist and the apparatus from which scientific findings must emerge.
This last interaction is the focus of L...more
This last interaction is the focus of L...more
Science in Action could plausibly be described as an idiosyncratic textbook that teaches how and how not to study science and technology. There's really too much here to cover in a review, but this book and its "rules of method" are very helpful for anyone looking for a thorough introduction into Actor-Network Theory or really Science and Technology Studies in general.
One thing that stands out about this book, or really all of Latour's work, is his use of metaphors and ana...more
One thing that stands out about this book, or really all of Latour's work, is his use of metaphors and ana...more
Nick Mather
added it
In many ways the successor to Thomas Kuhn's work, Latour demonstrates how science actually works and how scientific facts are largely a community contruction, challenging the notion of a detached, value free science.
Really excellent illustrations- seriously, and an engaging use of examples/stories to outline Latour's methods for studying science before it is blackboxed.
Robert
marked it as to-read
trying to do some of this Bruno Latour SSS/STS ("social studies of science", or "Science and Technology Studies") stuff. I actually like "We Have Never Been Modern" quite a bit, so I'll have to put this one away for a rainy day.
wasn't sure what I'd think about this one, and still not very sure. He's a talented writer, but it seems a bit 'discursive' at times. Perhaps a little bit dated now? But more up to date than Kuhn and Popper I'd say.
In my brief foray into the culture of science, this was the least obtuse book on this subject. (and i enjoyed it, too)
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