Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
#care #things #maintenance #careofthings #objectoriented #ethicsofobjects #loveandphilosophy
Jérôme Denis is Director of the Centre de sociologie de l’innovation at Mines Paris-PSL. David Pontille is Director of Research at Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) in Paris. Their book is The Care of Things: Ethics and Politics of Maintenance.
Welcome to Love and Philosophy, where we explore philosophical, scientific, and technological spaces beyond either/or bounds. I’m Andrea Hiott, and today we’re entering into a conversation about care, maintenance, and our relationship with the material world—a topic that feels particularly urgent in our moment of ecological and social crisis.
This conversation began, as many important things do, by accident. My guests today, Jérôme Denis and David Pontille, didn’t set out to study maintenance. They were investigating something they thought they understood—the signage system of the Paris Metro, those ubiquitous blue and white panels that guide millions of travelers daily. They wanted to understand “the power of writing, its capacity to concretely organize our ways of living together.” But near the end of a two-year investigation, someone casually mentioned: “Have you talked to the maintenance workers?”
That question changed everything.
“The signs, which we thought we knew in every detail,” they write, “were literally transformed before our eyes.” What they had seen as solid, immutable, standardized objects revealed themselves as fragile, constantly transforming entities held in place by invisible labor. The maintenance workers taught them to notice rust, material interactions, the way surfaces degrade and transform. These workers were experts at what the philosopher Gilles Deleuze called “plugging into the flux of matter”—but this wasn’t abstract philosophy. It was concrete, embodied, everyday work.
What emerged from this encounter is The Care of Things: Ethics and Politics of Maintenance, a book that asks us to fundamentally rethink how we live with objects, with each other, and with the world. But before we dive into their work, we need to understand the intellectual tradition it emerges from—and lovingly critiques.
Resource lists at: lovephilosophy.substack.com/archive
DISCLAIMER
Educational Content Only
This video is for philosophical exploration and educational purposes. It is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice.
Important Notice
The ideas discussed may challenge your current beliefs and worldview. If you experience emotional distress or confusion while watching, please pause and consider speaking with a qualified mental health professional.
No Affiliation
Views expressed are personal opinions and do not represent any institution, organization, or employer.
Fair Use
Any referenced material is used under fair use principles for educational discussion and commentary.
Personal Responsibility
This content does not prescribe any particular way of living. You are responsible for how you interpret and apply these ideas to your own life. The creators assume no liability for any outcomes resulting from your use of this material.
Your Wellbeing Matters
If philosophical inquiry ever feels overwhelming, please prioritize your mental health and seek appropriate support.
#care #things #maintenance #careofthings #objectoriented #ethicsofobjects #loveandphilosophy
Jérôme Denis is Director of the Centre de sociologie de l’innovation at Mines Paris-PSL. David Pontille is Director of Research at Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) in Paris. Their book is The Care of Things: Ethics and Politics of Maintenance.
Welcome to Love and Philosophy, where we explore philosophical, scientific, and technological spaces beyond either/or bounds. I’m Andrea Hiott, and today we’re entering into a conversation about care, maintenance, and our relationship with the material world—a topic that feels particularly urgent in our moment of ecological and social crisis.
This conversation began, as many important things do, by accident. My guests today, Jérôme Denis and David Pontille, didn’t set out to study maintenance. They were investigating something they thought they understood—the signage system of the Paris Metro, those ubiquitous blue and white panels that guide millions of travelers daily. They wanted to understand “the power of writing, its capacity to concretely organize our ways of living together.” But near the end of a two-year investigation, someone casually mentioned: “Have you talked to the maintenance workers?”
That question changed everything.
“The signs, which we thought we knew in every detail,” they write, “were literally transformed before our eyes.” What they had seen as solid, immutable, standardized objects revealed themselves as fragile, constantly transforming entities held in place by invisible labor. The maintenance workers taught them to notice rust, material interactions, the way surfaces degrade and transform. These workers were experts at what the philosopher Gilles Deleuze called “plugging into the flux of matter”—but this wasn’t abstract philosophy. It was concrete, embodied, everyday work.
What emerged from this encounter is The Care of Things: Ethics and Politics of Maintenance, a book that asks us to fundamentally rethink how we live with objects, with each other, and with the world. But before we dive into their work, we need to understand the intellectual tradition it emerges from—and lovingly critiques.
Resource lists at: lovephilosophy.substack.com/archive
DISCLAIMER
Educational Content Only
This video is for philosophical exploration and educational purposes. It is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice.
Important Notice
The ideas discussed may challenge your current beliefs and worldview. If you experience emotional distress or confusion while watching, please pause and consider speaking with a qualified mental health professional.
No Affiliation
Views expressed are personal opinions and do not represent any institution, organization, or employer.
Fair Use
Any referenced material is used under fair use principles for educational discussion and commentary.
Personal Responsibility
This content does not prescribe any particular way of living. You are responsible for how you interpret and apply these ideas to your own life. The creators assume no liability for any outcomes resulting from your use of this material.
Your Wellbeing Matters
If philosophical inquiry ever feels overwhelming, please prioritize your mental health and seek appropriate support.
