Latour's Heidegger

• Published in: Social studies of science Vol. 40; no. 4; pp. 579 - 598
• Main Author: Kochan, Jeff
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England Sage Publications 01.08.2010; SAGE Publications; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Capitalism; Concept of being; Creation myths; General points; Heidegger, Martin; History of science and technology; History of science in relation to other disciplinary fields; Latour, Bruno; Mediation; Metaphysics; Modern science; Modernity; Ontological essence; Philosophers; Philosophical object; Philosophy; Poetry; Promotion; Science; Science and Technology; Selfpromotion; Social interaction; Social philosophy; Technology; Two papers on Latour and mediation; Unity; Century 20-21; Bruno Latour; Martin Heidegger; modernity; technoscience; poetry; Heidegger (M.); Poetry; Technoscience; Modernity
• ISSN: 0306-3127; 1460-3659
• DOI: 10.1177/0306312709360263

Bruno Latour has had a tremendous impact on the field of science studies. Yet, it is not always easy to say what he stands for. Indeed, Latour has often claimed that his work lacks any overall unity. In this essay, I suggest that at least one concept remains constant throughout Latour's diverse studies of modern science and technology, namely, mediation. I try to make good this claim by focussing on Latour's numerous attempts over the years to distance himself from, so as to discredit, the philosopher Martin Heidegger. I argue that Latour's repeated denunciations of Heidegger amount to a systematic tactic of dissimulation: by suppressing the substance of Heidegger's critique of modern technoscience, Latour directs attention away from the not insignificant weaknesses in his own theory of mediation. Against the backdrop of an appropriately reconstructed Heidegger, Latour's self-promotion as a radically progressive non-modern thinker cannot be sustained.