Latour

Linking theory and practice can be a challenge. This year, my brain processed quite a bit of theory, and many thinkers left me guessing about how theory might apply to the real world. I found Latour refreshing, because his thinking is easily applied to many parts of daily life. Embracing complexity, murkiness, and muddiness is not inviting; Latour throws us in the mix of it all, encouraging and empowering us to explore and make sense of our world. For Latour, this requires getting out of the cave and accepting that "nothing is as concise as a myth" (pg. 10). According to Latour, the myth of truths outside of human creation, only accessed through the scientists' double rupture, is a destructive one. [Barthes could have easily penned this in his Mythologies text.]

Using Science as a "trump card" silences debate and discourse, giving those with the 'knowledge' all the power. I found this theory quite interesting when applied to Lippmanian thought. In his world, a country would be run by experts, those who have the time, ability, and talent to truly understand the political world. They would make decisions for the rest of us, for our own good. Why? Because the government asks too much of us; we are overworked, underpaid and simply don't have the capacity or desire to process such complex information. To be sure, there are parts of Lippman's argument that resonate, but throwing all power in a few hands does not seem like a reasonable solution.

Latour's theory really empowers the individual to think critically and maintain curiosity. The question is really, "how do we have the time for any of this?" Scientists are paid professionals, right? They went to school, have degrees and worked hard to master the skills necessary to work in a lab and create experiments. Even if the average Joe wanted to bust into the laboratory and mess around, would he have the time? The time to invest in learning new skills, etc.?

For laughs, some scientific "trump cards"...