Bruno LatourThinkers

Actor-network theory (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a study of how a lot of hard work in which heterogeneous bits and pieces -test tubes, reagents, organisms, skilled hands, scanning electron microscopes, radiation monitors, other scientist, articles, computer terminals, and all the rest -that would like to make off on their own are juxtaposed into a patterned network which overcomes their resistance.

Actor-network theory (n.) gives ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠equal importance to the material world as the human world such that pasteur's discovery of lactic acid is a great event not only in his life, but in the life of the yeast.

Actor-network theory (n.) sees ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the actor and the network not as two interacting entities, but as two faces of the same phenomena of the social, much like waves and particles.

Actor-network theory (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an analytic stance rather than an ethical stance when it says that there is no difference between people and objects. Indeed, we use the analytic stance to sharpen ethical questions about the special character of the human effect.

Actor-network theory (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an exploration of 'the capacity of nonhumans to act or participate in systems or networks' systems or networks'.

Actor-network theory (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a theory of the social, it is a theory of a space in which the social has become a certain type of entity.

Actor-network theory (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a theory of the social, nor a theory of the subject, nor of God, or of nature , but of the space and fluids circulating in a non-modern situation.

Actor-network theory (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a theory in whereby 'actor' is not representative of agency and 'network' is not representative of society society. Actor-network are two faces of the same, circulatory phenomenon, like waves and particles.

Agency (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠always hybrid and distributed... it is the actant formed by the alliance between gun and shooter that kills people.

Agency (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an emergent property of the total system. That is, agency is not expressed at the 'nodes' of a network, that is, only by the actors, but rather as transformations that result from the interaction of all the actors in a network.

Agency (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠better termed 'actant' where a set of circumstances occurs through which a person acts.

Agency (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a property of individuals but a function of relations, circumstances, interruptions, interlopers and cascades.

Agency (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the effects that an entity (technology or person) brings about in the networks.