Love & Philosophy #76 The Care of Things: Philosophy of Maintenance & Making Things Last
Nov 23, 2025
In this engaging discussion, guests Jérome Denis and David Pontille, both scholars from France, dive into the philosophy of maintenance. They explore how everyday care connects to social dynamics and infrastructure, revealing the fragility of urban signage and the multisensory nature of maintenance work. The conversation highlights the often overlooked, yet vital role of maintenance, using examples like the Paris Metro and classic Mustangs. They also link maintenance to feminist care ethics, emphasizing the unseen labor that sustains our daily lives.
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Maintenance Reframes Objects
- Talking to maintenance workers reframes how objects are understood and reveals hidden work keeping systems stable.
- Jérôme Denis and David Pontille found signs felt immutable only because maintenance continually performed that immutability.
The Metro Signage Discovery
- Jérôme and David began studying Paris Metro signage and only later followed the maintenance crew.
- That fieldwork overturned their initial view that signs were immutable and led to a decade-plus research collaboration.
Immutability Is Performed
- Maintenance produces apparent immutability: fragile signs become 'solid' through ongoing care.
- The book argues standardized durability is a performance enacted by maintainers, not an inherent property.
