Aufklärungen: Gespräche mit Bruno Latour

by Michel Serres, Bruno Latour, Gustav Roßler (Translator)

Bruno Latour unterhält sich in fünf Gesprächen mit Michel Serres über dessen Zugang zur Wissenschaft, die Geschichte der exakten Wissenschaften, die Literatur, die Philosophie, das Ende der Kritik und die Weisheit. Sie behandeln die maßgeblichen Themen der Arbeiten Serres, der sich zu seinem Leitbild die Figur des Hermes ausgewählt hat und sein Denken an den Begriffen Kommunikation, Interferenz, Übersetzung und Distribution entlang entwickelt hat. "Es gibt ein Geheimnis Michel Serres: Sie sind zugleich sehr bekannt und sehr verkannt. Und das obwohl Ihre Bücher technisch gesehen zur Philosophie gehören. Darüber möchte ich gerne Aufklärungen. Sie beschreiten einen Weg, Sie gehen überall hin, in die Wissenschaften, die Mythen, die Literatur und gleichzeitig verwischen Sie oft die Spuren, die Sie zu Ihren Resultaten gebracht haben."

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Science, Theory, Cultural Studies, Cultural

300 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Michel Serres was a French philosopher, theorist and author.

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the single most important work for those new to Michel Serres seeking to understand the great significance of his work. Latour puts Serres to the test, bringing forward the numerous misconceptions that have predominated the academic institution's anxiety about Serres's work. Through the discourse, one understands that for Serres to break open a doorway that's been fixed shut for 2300 years, numerous conventions were going to have to be disrupted.

A serious reading of Conversations will help one understand both why Serres is such a puzzle to those still thinking through the constraints of the Enlightenment and provides a path for the comprehension and integration of Serres's works. It's truly remarkable to see Latour's own evolution through the five interviews, approaching firmly from the traditional philosophical institution with great frustration (yet suspicion that something very significant is occurring that shouldn't be ignored; a major innovation in philosophy) to a grasp of both the method and the positive, open door that Serres has left us with.

[J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

40% of this book, verbatim:

latour: i’d like to ask you about your method, why you write the way you do.

serres: do not ask me such questions now; i am maligned and misunderstood by the academy.

latour: doubtless. they see you as imprudent.

serres: i have been seen as naive my whole life. as a schoolboy they looked at me and said “you are naive.”

latour: nevertheless, i must ask you about your method of writing…

it is like a long-lost platonic dialogue written by a woodpecker. the επανάληψ… ιον.

beautiful nietszchean paragraph on p. 180

[Clyde Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books of all time and I've read it multiple times.

Latour does a great job of interviewing Serres who opens up and explains the whole game.

Some really beautiful moments occur despite the fact that it's a transcript, however edited, of a staged discussion.

[Samar · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is absolutely brilliant. a perfect read for anyone who finds themselves lost between the constructed (as serres argues, and I agree with him) dichotomy between the sciences and humanities

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another amazing work from Serres (and Latour!) here... while ostensibly a theory oriented interview, my favourite elements of this were the places where Serres discusses philosophy as a craft. There is so much beauty and joy in the way he describes engaging theory and it's extremely energising even in these cynical winter months.

More pertinently, though, is the way that Serres conceptualises time, as chaotic and dynamic rather than laminar. It's like a crumpled up piece of paper with different points touching in ways that don't always make sense; the modern is archaic and the archaic is modern. I have always felt this way about time or at least the way we articulate our own history and I was almost crying out in relief that finally someone saw and theorised the world the way I saw it! Such a rare thing to see yourself so seen in a theoretical text and I know I will be returning to this one many times over.

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the fist half I wasn't sure if Latour was trolling Seres or not, but by the end he seems satisfied with Serres' worldview.

I've not read early Serres, but I've started the sequence starting with HOMINISCENCE, so I though I would bring myself up to speed with this book. It was helpful.

NB: read the brief afterword by the translator before starting the text. It will obviate much that is likely to confuse you.

[Robert Frecer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Serres vykazuje znaky šarlatána (obchádzanie diskusie, gatekeeping asociácií, nespochybniteľnosť) ale raz za čas povie krásnu vec napr. o povahe zla v postmodernej dobe alebo o morálke, že to stojí za zamyslenie. Asi by som si mal prečítať nejakú knihu priamo od neho, lebo tieto rozhovory sa často točia v kruhu.

[Juliette Gagne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Du bonbon

[Vietzsche · Rating 4 out of 5]

对于塞尔而言，哲学此后既不是认识论也非本体论。它不应该成为科学解释的广告，也不为存在负全部的责任，尤其是在线性时间中精神逐步完善自己的救赎历史已经被后现代的非线性时间观破坏殆尽的情况下。在此，哲学以连接、传递或速度的面貌重生看起来是合理的，“我无法保持正确”，哲学已经失去或从未有过解释这一切的能力。

[CL Chu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really many of Latour's thoughts can be found in Serres, but the two have distinct styles. The whole conversation is like Latour asking Serres to explain his tricks, and Serres keeps pulling out more bunnies from the hat.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great exchange between two important late 20th century writers