Übersetzerinnen im Karussell der Perspektiven: Reziproke Anregungen für Translation und Interkulturelle Philosophie

Abstract

Translators in the merry-go-round of perspectives: reciprocal suggestions for translation and intercultural philosophy

This article deals with the question of how selected insights from intercultural philosophy can enrich translation studies. This concerns the aspects of the dynamic concept of culture and the avoidance of essentialism, as well as the ability to change perspectives and thus also the avoidance of stereotyping, generalizations and the absolutization of supposed findings about the culture in question. It is assumed that the findings can be of use in translation teaching. The extensive overlap of concerns in translation studies and philosophy shows that mutual awareness of discourses in the two fields enhance translation theory and deepen research in philosophy. Therefore, it addresses the core of philosophical problems related to the philosophy of mind, including the nature of knowledge, decision making, and the perception of other minds, as well as cognitive and social functions such as intention, action, communication, and ethics. Despite, and sometimes even because of, disagreements in philosophical circles about all these issues, translation teachers, translation scholars, and translators themselves have much to gain by addressing the big questions raised by philosophers, critical responses to philosophical arguments, and the substantive value of philosophical writings when compared to the body of descriptive translation data and theoretical frameworks that have emerged in translation studies.