Aubrie Cross

INTD: Science Writing

ac46@geneseo.edu

We have never been Modern

In Bruno Latours piece, We have never been Modern, he discuses the dichotomy between human culture and nature. In his paper he says “Modernity comes in as many versions as there are thinkers or journalists, yet all its definitions point, in one way or another, to the passage of time.” What Latour is saying here is that over time the idea of being “modern” has changed as well as it has multiple meanings but they’re all relatively the same. Later on he says that in order to really be “modern” then we have to realize the distinction between his two dichotomies which were the work of purification and the work of translation. However, Latour then says that if we look at both simultaneously then we stop being wholly modern. After he says that the reason for this is because ‘these two sets of practices have already been at work in historical practices which is coming to an end.’ I can see some of Latours ideas in my mini essay when it comes to the relationship between human culture and nature, however, I don’t fully see his ideas connecting to The Greek Tree.