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From Certainty to Uncertainty: Parallels Between General Science and Translation Studies

Authors

  • Ghodrat Hassani 📧 Corresponding Author: Assistant Professor of Translation Studies, Department of English Translation, Faculty of Humanities, Damghan University, Damghan
  • Marzieh Malekshahi Assistant Professor of Translation Studies, Department of English Translation, Faculty of Humanities, Damghan University, Damghan

Abstract

This purely conceptual study draws parallels between general science and translation studies in terms of how both moved from an attitude of certainty to one of uncertainty. In doing so, we begin with the scientific zeitgeist at the turn of the 20th century, when scientific certainty was almost a given. The belief in scientific certainty so prevalent at that time has since been replaced with a more complex attitude to uncertainty, one that accounts for the inherent fallibility of scientific knowledge. Our discussion of translation studies reflects a parallel evolution. It began with the certainty of equivalence firmly rooted in Aristotelian binary logic, then rejected it and adopted uncertainty as a paradigm. We end our discussion by pointing out some theoretical traps that scholars might fall into if they take the uncertainty paradigm in translation studies at face value.

Keywords:

Certainty, Complexity, Equivalence, Translation Studies, Uncertainty

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Published

2023-01-23

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How to Cite

Hassani, G., & Malekshahi, M. (2023). From Certainty to Uncertainty: Parallels Between General Science and Translation Studies. Iranian Journal of Translation Studies, 20(80). Retrieved from https://journal.translationstudies.ir/ts/article/view/1030

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Academic Research Paper

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