“Hispanic Philosophical Tradition and Latin-American Philosophy: A Translation Studies Perspective” (FEB 2)

The School of Translation and the Department of Hispanic Studies at Glendon College are pleased to invite you to the lecture: “Hispanic Philosophical Tradition and Latin-American Philosophy: A Translation Studies Perspective”, by Nayelli Castro, from the University of Ottawa.
Thursday February 2nd, 6pm, Fireside Room
York Hall, 3rd floor, Glendon College
(Followed by a cheese and wine on Room YH C204)

Nayelli Castro Ramírez completed a B.A in Philosophy in Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo (Mexico), and a M.A. in Translation in El Colegio de México. She is a Ph.D. candidate in Translation Studies at the School of Translation and Interpretation at the University of Ottawa. Her research interests are translation and philosophy, cultural sociology, intellectual migrations, and ideas’ imports and exports. In her PhD thesis, she studies the translation of philosophical texts into Spanish, in Mexico, between 1940 and 1970.

About her presentation, Nayelli Castro wrote: “At the outset of the 20th century, the Hispanic philosophical tradition goes through a period of Renaissance, after having being criticized for its tendency to imitation, for its lack of “originality”, and for not being critical enough towards foreign systems of thought. At the time, Ortega y Gasset was the leading figure of a movement that aimed at integrating the Hispanic tradition to the European intellectual landscape. Translation would be an important tool in this endeavor, which will be interrupted by Franco’s ascension to power in Spain.

“Some of the Spanish intellectuals, who participated in this intellectual movement exiled to Mexico at the end of the 30’s and pursued Ortega y Gasset’s project. In my presentation, I analyze the way in which the reflection on the Hispanic philosophical tradition is combined to the conceptualization of a “Latin-American identity” in the Mexican intellectual milieu between 1940 and 1970. The discussion is centered on two aspects of the question. On the one hand, I examine the reflection of Spanish as the language used for philosophical expression, as well as on the Hispanic philosophical tradition compared to the German, French and English traditions. On the other, I analyze the role of translation in the building of philosophy as a “profession” in the Mexican context, as well as the role of translators in the publishing enterprises which allowed for the production of a philosophical repertoire in Spanish.”