Le pouvoir et les opérations

In this paper, I analyse the “closed fuel cycle” strategy implemented by the French nuclear industry in the 1970’s by means of a theoretical framework inspired by Simondon. I confront the technocratic conception of technical ensembles, which sees them as the instanciation of a power over nature, and...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Ange Pottin
Format: Article
Language:fra
Published: Société d'Anthropologie des Connaissances 2021-06-01
Series:Revue d'anthropologie des connaissances
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/rac/22842
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:In this paper, I analyse the “closed fuel cycle” strategy implemented by the French nuclear industry in the 1970’s by means of a theoretical framework inspired by Simondon. I confront the technocratic conception of technical ensembles, which sees them as the instanciation of a power over nature, and their technological comprehension as systems of operations, i.e. of mediations between technical invention and the natural environment. I argue that the “closed fuel cycle” strategy can be understood as relying on an imaginary ecology. What I propose is a form of critical epistemology that I compare with Jasanoff’s theory of sociotechnical imaginaries, that leads to a sociopolitical comprehension of the social efficiency and motives of such a representation. I then question the complementarity conditions between those two frameworks, one normative, the other explanatory.
ISSN:1760-5393