Translating Feminist Philosophy: A case-study with Simone de Beauvoir's 'Le Deuxième Sexe'

Open Access

Abstract

The relationship between languages and philosophy is so strong that French philosopher Barbara Cassin speaks of 'philosophising in languages' (Cassin 2010). This paper aims to show how translation can be a means to help disseminate philosophical ideas. It might even be called a political tool, when circulating feminist philosophical thoughts is concerned. The article uses the latest English translation of Simone de Beauvoir's Le deuxième sexe to address the pitfalls philosophy presents translators with. It also aims to defend the Interpretive Theory of Translation as a translation strategy particularly relevant to philosophy. The novelty of the paper lies in the fact that the translation of feminist philosophy is largely underanalysed in the field of Translation Studies. Therefore, the article intend to bridge the gap between those disciplines, in order to enhance the reception of feminist philosophy.