George Steiner’s Hermeneutic Motion and the Ontology, Ethics, and Epistemology of Translation

Douglas Robinson

Research output: Chapter in book/report/conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

This chapter is organized around three phrases from Phil Goodwin’s ide­alizing reading of George Steiner’s hermeneutic motion: (1) “there is a certain vi­olence involved,” (2) “This imagery offended some readers,” and (3) “this second stage of translation will always feel like a violation.” In response to those remarks, my research questions are (Q1) What is the ontology of that “certain violence,” and why did it “offend some readers”? (Q2) What is the ethical significance of Steiner’s pas­sage through violence in the hermeneutic motion? (Q3) What is the epistemological sig­nificance of “feeling” in the recognition that “this second stage of translation will always feel like a violation”? The trajectory of my argument, in other words, is from ontologization (Q1) through ethical regimes (Q2) to the epistemology of feeling (Q3).
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationEngaging with Translation. New Readings of George Steiner's After Babel
EditorsMarco Agnetta, Larisa Cercel, Brian O’Keeffe
Place of PublicationLeipzig
PublisherHermeneutics and Creativity, University of Leipzig
Pages103-138
Number of pages36
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 27 Oct 2021

Publication series

NameYearbook of Translational Hermeneutics
PublisherHermeneutics and Creativity, University of Leipzig
Number1
ISSN (Electronic)2748-8160

User-Defined Keywords

  • Hermeneuticmotion
  • Ontology
  • Ethics
  • Epistemology
  • Feeling

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