Monday, October 10, 2022

Bruno Latour

Bruno Latour (1947-2022)

This morning we awaken to the sad news of the passing of Bruno Latour, one of the most important and misunderstood thinkers of our time. He had been battling cancer for several years.

I first met Bruno at a conference near London in 1999, and he has been a major figure in my life and work ever since. It was an irreplaceable piece of good luck to be able to watch his philosophy develop over more than two decades, and to see his public visibility boom during the same period.

He was also probably the first thinker of his rank to develop anything like a philosophical theory of the climate, and for that reason he’ll be a frequent resource in the coming century.

There was always a certain air of merriment about the man, in the sense that he passionately enjoyed knowing many people in countless different fields, bringing them all together socially and professionally and watching the results unfold before his eyes.

I see that Emmanuel Macron has tweeted about the news, which further indicates the scope of his influence.

I’m still collecting my thoughts about this, and will be for some time to come.

 Graham Harman

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