In
his book The Pasteurization of France,
Bruno Latour ultimately aims to analysis the rationality of the relations of
science, society and war, through out the first part of the introduction he
quotes Tolstoy as he sees links to his analytical work to that of Tolstoy’s War
and Peace, which is clearly noticed to be their joint thought on the universal
and “historical” as well as “scientific” events or revolutions being the work
of combined individuals efforts, and like Tolstoy’s he takes the example of the
general of Russian troops winning the battle against the Grande Armee lead by Napoleon.
Nevertheless
Latour takes the analysis to what we could say is a step further than that of
Tolstoy’s as he attempts to combine the efforts of “science” or all living
things in creating what is to be, as noticed simply from the title of part one
of his book “ War and Peace of Microbes “.
Moreover he gives the example of Louis Pasteur Hygiene scientific “breakthrough”,
which he refers to at many points, connecting it again to the idea of combined
efforts rather than the creation of one, “The Pasteurization.”
Since
Latour relates his analysis of war and peace relation to science he aims to separate
along with showing the link between science and war he says in his introduction
“We would like sciences to be free of war and politics. At least we would like
to make decisions often through compromise, drift, and uncertainty” Bruno Latour, The Pasteurization of France. However sciences
relation to war is according to Latour due to modernization, and discusses how
development in scientific fields influences or provokes development of war
methodology and tactics, and as to relate this to the case of Pasteur which as
mentioned takes great focus in most of part one of his book, “Yet Pasteur was
not the only scientist working on the relationships of microbes and disease.
How was he able to galvanize the other forces to support his own research?
Latour shows Pasteur’s efforts to win over the French public—the farmers,
industrialists, politicians, and much of the scientific establishment.”[1]
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