根據拉圖爾的行動者網絡理論,為了恰當地理解科學活動,我們對社會與境和技術內容兩方面的察考都是必不可少的。拉圖爾強調,科學只能通過其實踐得到理解,因此必須對處于行動過程中的科學,而不只是科學的結果,即既成事實加以考察。如果說科學事實是一種黑箱,那么理解科學的辦法就是想方設法打開黑箱。按照這種方法,我們似乎可以發現科學是在某種網絡式的建構過程當中生存發展的,而這種網絡,則要盡可能地囊括所有的社會資源和人類計謀,甚至要把科學的對象作為行動因素包含進來。這種研究路徑帶來了方法論上的新鮮感和效力,卻也同時引起了某些哲學上的困惑,比如自然的實在論地位問題,以及科學理論有效性的來源問題等。

According to Bruno Latour’s actor-network theory,the right understanding of scientific activity should pay close attention to both its social context and technological content. He emphasizes that science can be understood only through its practice,leading to an focus on science in the making but not science already made. If scientific facts are a black box,then the understanding of science is a way to open the black box.This approach seems to result in the survival and development of science being a construction of a social network involving almost all human and non-human resources,with scientific subjects as actors or actant. This theory possesses methodological novelty and power,though some metaphysical difficulties remain.