Bruno Latour, Aramis, or the Love of Technology, PDF - Dss-edit.com

"But at the time of the fino! decision in 1984, what was the motivationexactly2""Two things got mixed up together. I think there was a confusion of plans."There were never any maior concerns about making a Javel-Bercy connection-thatis, 0 mini-VAL. People told themselves, There's a guard-rail'; it wasreassuring. 'We're innovating with an innovative gimmick that hasn't beenproven, but if something goes wrong we can always land on our feet with amini-VAL.'"This brings us back to Matra's industrial logic, which could always makethe most of an inferior version ."Matra wanted a miniVAL line after the eEl, which was also the goal ofthe Transportation Ministry, but because of their priorities they never managedto make the project concrete."In relation to a rational process of more or less logical sequential development,the various stages kept getting mixed up. They moved faster to stop theoperation than to start it; a lot faster, for no reason." [no. 42]"He's the one who's talking about irrational processes and illogicalbehavior," r said furiously, "not me. He's the one who's accusing theoperating agency of being both judge and interested party, and that's aserious charge. Everybody who signs the protocol to build Aramis hopesto do something other than Aramis. That's really not normal, is it? Theyspend 150 million francs in order to wait, simply because no one hasthe guts to say they shouldn't spend the money! The whole thing iscobbled together in defiance of common sense. Why should we be theonly ones who don't have thc right to pass judgment?""Go on, pass judgment if you feel like it," Norbert replied. "Goright ahead, lay the blame! Pick out a head to roll for the vengefulpopulace. Denounce the profiteers, the ignoramuses, the incompetents."'' I'm not necessarily looking for a guilty party," I said moreprudently, incapable as I was of selecting a head to chop off right inthe middle of the bicentennial of the French Revolution."So what are you looking for? Are you going to accuse the socialsystem? Capitalism? Napoleonic France? Sinful man, while you're at it?THE 1984 DECIS,ON