Sociologist Bruno Latour Ask Us to Consider a "Speed Bump

question 25

Multiple Choice

Sociologist Bruno Latour ask us to consider a "speed bump that forces drivers to slow down on campus. . . . The driver modifies his behavior through the mediation of the speed bump . . . on the campus road there now resides a new actant that slows down cars." Latour does not claim that the speed bump itself is a moral agent or "actant." It is not the speed bump that performs the action of slowing down cars. Latour's view is, rather, that

• A) the people who design and use the speed bump slows down cars.
• B) it is the combination of the speedbump and the people who design and use it that together slows down cars.
• C) engineers have a first-order responsibility to design speed bumps that are safe and respect the driver's autonomy.
• D) engineers have a second-order responsibility to design speed bumps that safe and respect the driver's autonomy.

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Definitions:

Gerald Nye

A U.S. Senator known for his investigations in the 1930s into the profit motives behind America's involvement in World War I.

Congressional Hearings

Meetings or sessions held by the United States Congress to gather information, review and evaluate legislation, and conduct oversight on government operations.

Arms Control Legislation

Laws and regulations designed to limit the production, stockpiling, proliferation, and use of weapons, particularly those of mass destruction, to promote global security.

Neutrality

The policy or stance of a nation not participating or choosing sides in conflicts or wars between other nations.