Of Actants, Forces, and Things
Of Actants, Forces, and Things
This chapter aims at clarifying some fundamental concepts of Bruno Latour’s philosophical sociology. It shows that the concept of “actor,” or “actant,” was derived from the semiology of Algirdas Julien Greimas. In addition, it depicts Latour’s gradual shift from the semiological to a pragmatist notion of “actors.” This shift occurs in Latour’s dialogue with Michel Serres and Isabelle Stengers that he increasingly engages in in the late 1980s.
Keywords: Bruno Latour, Actor-network theory, Algirdas Julien Greimas, Semiology, Pragmatism, Michel Serres, Isabelle Stengers
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