The aim of the seminar is to combine the theories and practice of translation. Its reference fields are the national and international communities of humanities and social sciences publishing. The main question to be examined is the place currently given to translation in the production and dissemination of knowledge. Starting from the idea that translation itself produces knowledge, and consequently requires a particular epistemological status, we examine its influence on the emergence of new knowledge and the revision of existing knowledge.
With the end of the major multilingual publishing projects of the 1980s-1990s, the predominance of English as a vehicular language, the redefinition of translation aids, the development of online publishing, collaborative work and open access, the question of the place of translation in humanities and social sciences publishing has become even more acute. An interrogation of the status of translation contextualises the history of our relations with the Other, the formation of symbolic spaces and enables comparisons between geographical and cultural areas.
As a joint initiative of three research centres (CERCEC, CETOBaC and Centre Georg Simmel), “Thinking in more than one language” is a forum for collective discussion to compare experience and ideas from differing positions: those of social sciences researchers, publishing professionals, translators and librarians.
The work required of students for a seminar credit (translation of an unpublished article, placing in context and reasoned discussion of a book proposed for translation) may be published online.