Café Philo: Down to Earth by Bruno Latour

What does it really mean to “live on Earth” today?

In this Café-Philo, we will explore Down to Earth: Politics in the New Climatic Regime, one of Bruno Latour’s most accessible and provocative books. Written in the context of climate change, political polarization, and growing inequalities, the book invites us to rethink a deeply ingrained habit of thought: the idea that humans and nature exist as separate worlds.

Instead of separating human society from nature, Latour asks a basic but urgent question:  How can humans live alongside other living beings on a limited planet?

Latour argues that many of today’s political crises, from climate denial to growing inequality, come from our refusal to accept that humans are part of nature and not separate from it.
He suggests that politics should move beyond the opposition between the global and the local, and instead focus on how we can learn to live together on Earth.

Guided by Pierre-Laurent Boulanger, who worked closely with Bruno Latour for several years, this conversation will unpack Latour’s ideas in a clear and approachable way, connecting philosophy to everyday questions about territory, belonging, responsibility, and our shared future.

No philosophical background is required. Curiosity and openness are more than enough.

Reading the book in advance is encouraged but not required.  You can order your copy here.