At the Threshold of a Philosophy of Translation: Theory and Method
In this article, I propose two hypotheses: first, that theory and research methodology are inter-dependent, and second, that it is necessary to recognize the plurality of methodological approaches in Translation Studies, including conceptual research. To test the first hypothesis, I show how the notion of theory has evolved throughout the development of the discipline, and thereby establish that metatheoretical reflection, precisely the kind of reflection carried out in this article, cannot disregard reflection on the methodological choices available to researchers such as translation theorists. To verify the second hypothesis, I identify trends in the methodological choices that translation theorists make, and analyze possible reasons for these tendencies. The preliminary results signal the strong predominance of empirical research and, consequently, the less significant and less recognized place of conceptual research, which has been weakened by a perception that this kind of research “lacks scientificity.” Yet how can we lay claim to interdisciplinarity when methodological pluralism is deficient? In response to this question, I call for a broader view of the very foundations of the discipline, and a movement towards an integrated philosophy of translation.