Philosophical Café in German language: The Function of Things

A lecture by Dr Christoph Kircher (EURAC Research), followed by a discussion.

Can a door closer act? A river? A microbe? Bruno Latour also attributes agency to non-humans – both technology and nature. According to this view, action would not be something reserved solely for humans. Hardly any of his theses has been the subject of such heated debate. The lecture introduces the question, traces the history of the debate and concludes with an outlook: why Latour thinks this way becomes clear from a philosophical background which he himself usually leaves unspoken.

At Merano train station take either the bus no. 1 or bus no. 4 and get off at the Elisabeth Park stop at via Cavour.



From the city center you can reach the Culture Centre with a 5-minute walk or in just a few minutes by bike, following the cycle path that runs along the Ponte della Posta bridge and passes the Sissi statue.