Translation and Interpretation The Case for Comparative Philosophy

Photo by Hannes Wolf on Unsplash

Initiative by British Academy in partnership with the universities of Exeter, Oxford, Cardiff, Pune, Strasbourg, Bern, München, Vilnius, Hong Kong, Connecticut, & Harvard.

Convenors: Ionut Moise and Tadas Snuviškis

Comparative Philosophy begins on the margins and footnotes of translators and commentators (e.g., Neoplatonic
Commentators of Aristotle). It originates in ‘conceptual translation’ and often ends up as an ‘independent and
totally creative reflection’. This workshop gathers a series of Classicists, Indologists, Comparative Religionists and
Comparative Philosophers, to debate the ‘problem of translation’ and how it affects and alter readers’ own
philosophical understanding. In other words, how translators change from being ‘close readers’ to becoming
‘comparative philosophers’ and ‘independent thinkers.’ This workshop aims to draw a canon for, or rather critique
the feasibility of comparative philosophy. Presentations are conversational and informal, and will be, with your
permission, broadcast on YouTube for field dissemination. No written paper required and no obligation to attend
the entire conference, if busy.

Tuesday 10th of May

Method in Comparative Philosophy
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85715992715?pwd=RmYrdDFpVWZrZGhxZTZOQWRHeGVoQT09
9:30 Problems in Comparative Philosophy, Ionut Moise, Exeter & OCHS, Oxford
9:50 Q&A
10:00 (11am) The ‘Axial Age’ and the problem of universals, Richard King, Bern
10:20 Q&A
10:30 (5:30pm) Concept and Emptiness in Chinese Buddhist Translations, Yao Zhihua, Hong Kong
10:50-11:00 Q&A
11.00 Coffee Break
Translation and Interpretation in Comparative Metaphysics
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82930568769?pwd=M1JITzZ0VmY2K3FTdzU0UUlFWWx4dz09
11:30 (12:30) Islamic Philosophy in the Scholastic Context. Peter Adamson, München
11:50 Q&A
12:00 Change and Transformation among Aristotle’s Commentators. Richard Sorabji, Oxford
12:20 Q&A
12:30 Jacob of Edessa on ‘Being’, Daniel King, Cardiff
12:50 Q&A
13:00 (8am) African Philosophy: Origins and Interpretations, Gordon Lewis, Connecticut

Wednesday 11th of May

Translation and Interpretation in Comparative Religion
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89646398043?pwd=ZFRtU1ZRWHRleE9oK25jSFpnejlKUT09
9:00 (13:30) Comparative Mythology from Vedas to Max Müller: Mugdha Gadgil, Pune
9:20 Q&A
9:30 Comparative Method in Hinduism: Gavin Flood, Oxford
9:50 Q&A
10:00 (14:30) Challenge and Change in Translating Philosophical Texts: Ganesh Thite, Pune
10:20 Q&A
10:30 (15:00) Translation and Interpretation of Ancient Indian Legal Texts, Anagha Joshi, Pune
10:50-11:00 Q&A
11:00 Coffee break
Translation and Interpretation in Comparative Theology
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84051207916?pwd=K1A5Rm5mWm9SRmRqcmwwZndkMVoyUT09
11:30 Eastern Christianity and Comparative Theology, Brandon Gallaher, Exeter
11:50 Q&A
12:00 (13:00) Nature et Grâce, Naturel et Surnaturel: Un Débat Tenace d’ Augustin á Henri de Lubac
Françoise Vinel, en français (English simultaneous translation)
12:30 What is Comparative Metaphysics? Comments from Audience
13:00 (8am) Theological Comparison as Translation. Francis Clooney, Harvard
13:20 Q&A
13:30 Final Remarks and Acknowledgements

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