This Lu for you no. 55, entitled “Escape from modernity”, is a summary of the book “We have never been modern” by Bruno Latour, published in 2006. Sociologist, philosopher and associate professor at the Sciences Po medialab, he questions the notion of modernity and claims a “modern” positioning.

Read For You: Escaping Modernity

In his book, Bruno Latour affirms that the “Modern Constitution”, which implicitly organizes the categories on which the world is thought of, is based on a separation between nature and human society. However, this separation is an illusion built and maintained by modernity.

The author mentions two ways of viewing the world: purification, a modern invention that gives the appearance of coherence and rationality by creating clear and exclusive categories, and translation, which shows how the world really works—with the cohabitation of heterogeneous elements, both human and non-human.

Bruno Latour defends the idea that the natural and human worlds are inextricably linked: carbon emissions, technical innovations, political decisions and scientific facts come from both physical realities and social and human constructions. He calls these ubiquitous phenomena “hybrids.”

Following this observation, the author affirms his “modern” position: by refusing any hierarchy between humans and non-humans, by subscribing to the myth of the clear separation between the natural world and the social world, and by defending the inclusion of heterogeneous entities in political and ecological decision-making — to the point of outlining the idea of a “Parliament of things” —, he invites us to compose in a world where nature and humans are fully recognized. as linked.

About the “Read for you” collection

This publication is part of a series of summaries of academic work referring to issues related to Corporate Social and Social Responsibility (CSR). These notes do not present an opinion of the LedoTank think tank and do not engage its responsibility for the views expressed: they aim to provide the reader with resources to nourish their thinking and make them want to go further in discovering the books and their authors.

LedoTank is an association whose vocation is to fill the knowledge and understanding gap of medium-sized companies — in their modes of governance, financing, social or environmental performance.

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