Sociologist Bruno Latour ask us to consider a "speed bump that forces drivers to slow down on campus. . . . The driver modifies his behavior through the mediation of the speed bump . . . on the campus road there now resides a new actant that slows down cars." Latour does not claim that the speed bump itself is a moral agent or "actant." It is not the speed bump that performs the action of slowing down cars. Latour's view is, rather, that
A) the people who design and use the speed bump slows down cars.
B) it is the combination of the speedbump and the people who design and use it that together slows down cars.
C) engineers have a first-order responsibility to design speed bumps that are safe and respect the driver's autonomy.
D) engineers have a second-order responsibility to design speed bumps that safe and respect the driver's autonomy.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Latour's perspective emphasizes the interaction between human and non-human actors (like the speed bump) in producing effects or actions. In this case, it's the combination of the speed bump and the people involved (those who design and use it) that collectively contribute to slowing down cars.

Sociologist Bruno Latour Ask Us to Consider a "Speed Bump