Politics

The criticism levelled by Gerard de Vries against the political theory implicit in science studies offers a good occasion to render more precise the different meanings the word « politics » may have...
The critical spirit might have turned empty as long as there is no alternative to the first empiricism -that of matter of fact: doubting of matters of fact can only mean getting away from the...
If one takes seriously the notion of cosmopolitics developped by Isabelle Stengers and the diplomatic work it entails, one is engaged in a rethinking of the link between cultures and natures –now in...
This paper explores the destiny of political ecology. It is very much influenced by the French political situation and the continuing marginality of the various Green parties. It relies on three...
A detailed analysis of Plato’s Gorgias allows to see how the famous debate between Might and Right has been rigged, since Socrates and Callicles agree on everything against the people of Athens. But...
Realpolitik turns out to be a very unrealistic version of politics. In effect, most of our political passions and interests are turned toward things –the oldEnglish and German Ding- that could be...
In this series of three lectures -shortened in one long paper- is presented the philosophical, sociological and mythical account of the links between humans and non-humans; the first section explores...
Three examples in physics (Archimedes), anthropology (Baudin) and biology (Pasteur) are used to define the new realism that emerges from radical science studies of experiments; an anthropological...
Published in « How to Think like a State » The Thinking State edited by Wim van de Donk, Scientific Council for Government Policy, The Hague, 2007, pp. 19-32.
Commissionned by the German SPD party in order to seek what sort of new definition of the Left would emerge if a science studies perspective was taken on a politics freed from the burden of Science...