Instrumentalizing the truth of practice

4Isabelle Stengers suggests that the ‘truth’ of scientific findings is predicated upon a relationship of forces that are organized around it. ‘An interested scientist will ask the question: can I incorporate this “thing” into my research? Can I refer to the results of this type of measurement…In other words, can I be situated by this proposition, can it place itself between my work and that of the one who proposes it?’ (Stengers 1997, p. 83) Latour (1988) deals with this issue when he discusses Pasteur’s mobilization of forces around microbes. Microbes become ‘real’ scientific objects through the various interests (commercial and otherwise) that converge on them.

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