Science in action: Review

Type :

Book review

Pages :

5 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

04/16/2009

Category :

Philosophy & literature

Sub category :

Literature

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Summary :

Introduction
The first chapter: Latour's examination of technical and scientific texts
Who is actually doing science and shows that from actants
The great divide between 'savage' mind and 'scientific' mind
The role of development in science
Conclusion
Bibliography

Abstract

Latour suggests that the construction of facts and machines is a collective process. He argues that there is nothing inherent in a statement that makes it a fact; rather it is the future processes of others who accept it, support it, ignore it, challenge it, etc wherein the destiny of a statement lies (i.e. whether it becomes a fact or an artefact). He demonstrates there are two simultaneously existing faces of science: one that knows and one that doesn't know yet. Thus, debating whether there is an objective reality beyond human thought and scientific text or whether constructions become objective as more people subscribe to them can be obsolete. It is easy employ the prior stance once the "project" is completed, however while the project is in progress, it is easier to employ the second stance. Latour calls completed "projects" a black box. While they maybe closed in a specific time and space, these boxes are theoretically (and often in practice) never permanently closed because new discoveries can lend themselves to disprove old ones. Because we are entering science in action, that is, science based on black boxes, Latour shifts our attention from what scientists say to what they practice, i.e. the methods they develop and operate to generate "facts".