| OCR Text |
Show 73 transcendental philosophy, wherein objects are in conformity to the mind of the human subject. To Latour, we cannot privilege human existence over the existence of nonhuman objects because no single entity is more real than another since everything operates within the same plane of existence. To him, there are no metaphysical hierarchies or Aristotelian substances because actors always change with their relations to other objects. To understand Latour's notion of subjectivity, we must know his concept of actors/actants. Actors/actants refer to human and nonhuman actors within a network that mix the material with the semiotic compositions of the world. As such, Latour maintains that there is no difference of ability between technology, humans, and nonhumans to produce relations and build alliances through their actions. Although the distinction between actor and actant is somewhat problematic in that "actor" connotes human agents, they nonetheless have the same energies in potentia to engage with an actor-network that defines their bundles of relations. These networks are comprised of clusters of actors that create meaning through their intricate networks of associations. To John Law (2008), actor network-theory is thus a collection of "material-semiotic tools, sensibilities, and methods of analysis that treat everything in the social and natural worlds as a continuously generated effect of the webs of relations within which they are located" (p. 141). Actants come into existence through their relations. This means that a network is always in flux, and it is through movements, mobilities, and performances that it maintains its existence. In other words, objects are always moving and creating alliances that give them force within their assemblages, creating networks of relations (Latour, 2005/2007). Importantly however, if an object is not in relation, then it does not exist. |
