"Taking seriously the argument that things have politics, Political Matter seeks to develop a fully materialist theory of politics, one that opens new possibilities for imagining the relationship between scientific and political practices. The contributors assert that without such a theory the profusion of complex materials with and through which we live--plastic bags, smart cars, and long-life lightbulbs, for example--too often leaves us oscillating between fearful repudiation and glib celebration. Exploring the frictions that come from linking the work of scholars in science and technology studies and political theory, these essays spark new ways of understanding the matter of politics"--Provided by publisher.