Ja aina teen virheen: Demokratie und die Mühsal ihrer Sprache(n)

Authors

• Franziska Link Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

DOI: https://doi.org/10.70484/vakki.149151

Keywords:

Übersetzen, politische Theorie, Hermeneutik, Subjekt, Gesellschaft

Abstract

The following essay seeks to define translation as a fundamental language strategy that is applied in every situation that demands language as such. I will make this point not only by including and interpreting short passages from my translation of Sinikka Vuola’s poem Maailman vaikein kieli, but also by examining relevant aspects of the constitution of the self and political theory. By doing so, it will become clear, how translation is a fundamental activity and how its process is necessary to understand our usage of language and its role in our private and public life. This insight might help to understand crucial communication processes and thus how our expectations of communicative success in democratic systems are likely to be fulfilled or disappointed.