Pandora's Hope：Essays on the Reality of Science Studies

AscientistfriendaskedBrunoLatourpoint-blank:"Doyoubelieveinreality?"Takenabackbythisstrangequery,LatouroffershismeticulousresponseinPandora'sHope.Itisaremarkableargumentforunderstandingtherealityofscienceinpracticalterms.InthisbookLatour,identifiedbyRichardRortyasthenew"bêtenoireofthescienceworshipers,"givesushismostphilosophicallyinformedbooksinceScienceinAction.ThroughcasestudiesofscientistsintheAmazonanalyzingsoilandinPasteur'slabstudyingthefermentationoflacticacid,heshowsusthemyriadstepsbywhicheventsinthematerialworldaretransformedintoitemsofscientificknowledge.Throughmanyexamplesintheworldoftechnology,weseehowthematerialandhumanworldscometogetherandarereciprocallytransformedinthisprocess.Why,Latourasks,didtheideaofanindependentreality,freeofhumaninteraction,emergeinthefirstplace?Hisanswertothisquestion,harkingbacktothedebatesbetweenMightandRightnarratedbyPlato,pointstotherealstakesintheso-calledsciencewars:theperplexedsubmissionofordinarypeoplebeforethewarringforcesofclaimantstotheultimatetruth.