UDTR — Radar mondial des droits de la Nature

Upon an Unlikely Extension of the Notion of Representation

Identification

Clé publique

radar:r-5f7a83426ac9f8df5827be322ae6b84f

Auteurs

Karen

Année déclarée

2005

Langue déclarée

en · eng

Type source

Conference object

Première détection

2026-11-09T19:10:31.790926+00:00

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2026-11-09T19:10:31.790926+00:00

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Non effectuée

Résumé documentaire — langue originale

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that the notion of representation can be used outside the traditional sphere of politics, by covering non-humans, that are taken to be represented by the sciences. Using this outlook, influenced by Latour (2004) , our purpose is to overcome the dichotomy between political and scientific discourse. Traditionally, political and scientific discourse are attributed to have sharply differing characteristics. Political discourse takes place at the heart of a representation process of individuals, citizens, trying to get a grip on their particularities, complaints, desires, needs and interests. The process of political representation is volatile, unstable and incomplete in principle, due to the nature of those who are represented. It is a kind of representation that needs to be rearticulated time and again to avoid ending up in a totalitarian system. Scientific discourse is presented and presents itself as having direct and privileged access to the truth, unhindered by the resistances offered by individual human and non-human obstacles. On the contrary, it is usually presented as having direct access to the realm of transparent truth. In this politics of the representation of nature, mathematics plays a crucial part, due to the fact that it seems to be the only method to achieve certain knowledge. The first observation is that while (s)he who engages in political discourse is held to give account, scientific discourse seems legitimated 'by itself' and apparently is in no need of further justification. On the contrary, it has been elevated to an authoritarian status when it comes to speaking 'wisely' about non-humans. Instead, we propose to recognize the political dimension of the representation of nature (non-humans). Therefore, the same requirements with regard to representation and democratic accountability could also be said to govern scientific discourse. We believe it would be fruitful of extending the representational discourse to the natural sciences. With Latour, we argue that the notion of politics should cover the representation of both humans and non-humans. Moreover, signs are clearly present that the distinction between humans and non-humans cannot be maintained. In view of the politics of concern, in any case, this dichotomy cannot persist, since both dimensions are connected, interrelated and of mutual influencing one another. In this presentation, firstly we shall explain how both humans and non-humans are interrelated. Secondly we briefly give an overview of the representation of humans (the political discourse). Thirdly, we deal with the extended notion of the representational discourse as the representation of non-humans (the scientific discourse), and finally we make the case for building bridges between both, where the construction of objectivity and neutrality enters into the picture. For this purpose we elaborate on the political aspect of Galilei's idea to 'write the book of nature in the language of mathematics' and on the impact of Descartes' rules of "Regulae Ad Directionem Ingenii".

Identifiants

OPENAIRE

od______3848::190a8bdb1c043e20cf83e7530fa0204f

Repères documentaires

Famille documentaire

Communication / colloque

Types déclarés par les sources

Conference object

Les mentions d’entités ne constituent pas une preuve de reconnaissance juridique. La juridiction étudiée est distincte du pays d’affiliation des auteurs.

Sources

OpenAIRE

Source documentaire directe en cours de consolidation

Statut documentaire

Pertinence à examiner

Bibliothèque

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