Quotation archive
“We have never been modern, and we never will be.”
Bruno Latour · We Have Never Been Modern
Quote record
Author
Bruno Latour
Source
We Have Never Been Modern
Chapter / location
1991
Tradition
latour · modernity · actor-network-theory · hybridity · nature
Source information
From We Have Never Been Modern, 1991.
Original language: French
Translation
Translated from French into English using a named scholarly edition.
Context
Read the contextual commentary in this archive entry.
Interpretation
Latour's claim that we have never been modern: the modern constitution's separation of nature and culture never held. Actor-network theory and posthuman modernity.
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Historical Context
This passage is attributed to Bruno Latour in We Have Never Been Modern. Latour's claim that we have never been modern: the modern constitution's separation of nature and culture never held. Actor-network theory and posthuman modernity. The wording should be checked against Bruno Latour, We Have Never Been Modern, because edition, translation, and location determine how confidently the sentence can be quoted and interpreted.
Meaning
In context, “We have never been modern, and we never will be.” addresses concerns linked to latour, modernity, actor-network-theory, hybridity, nature. Its force depends on the contrast or problem surrounding it, not merely on the sentence in isolation. A sound reading distinguishes the literal claim, the rhetorical emphasis, and any broader conclusion readers may be tempted to add.
For Bruno Latour Quote on Modernity: Never Modern, the key interpretive question is what the quoted words are doing in the argument: defining a concept, drawing a contrast, warning the reader, or compressing a longer line of reasoning. Answering that question requires the surrounding paragraphs and the intended audience, especially when a translated term may carry several meanings.
Philosophical Interpretation
The passage indexed as Bruno Latour Quote on Modernity: Never Modern can be compared with Bruno Latour, Social Construction Of Technology, Reality, Identity, What Is Philosophy Of Technology. One interpretation emphasizes the author’s immediate argument; another asks how the wording applies beyond its original setting. Both require limits: a memorable quotation can illuminate a position, but it cannot substitute for the reasons and qualifications developed in the source work.
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Archive references
Sources
- 01We Have Never Been ModernBy Bruno LatourConsult source
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Quality check completed 2026-08-17