Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.
You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.
17:57 Aug 14, 2010
German to English translations [PRO] Social Sciences - Philosophy
German term or phrase:Unwahrheit
In a text about the significance of metaphysics today:
"Die materialistische Aufklärung hat mit der Negation des Jenseits zugleich die Metaphysik kassiert. Die Wiederaneignung der Metaphysik als des unbedingt Menschlichen wäre die richtige Konsequenz gewesen, statt dessen ist durch die Aufklärung in ihrer verbreiteten materialistischen Variante eine wesentliche Qualität des Menschseins entfremdet worden; vernichtet werden konnte sie nicht, da sie zu sehr zum Wesen des Menschen gehört. Diese Aufklärung hat ihre **Unwahrheit** immer daran erleiden müssen, daß sie den Menschen zwar als ein irdisches Wesen stärker etablierte als alle Epochen zuvor, aber seine geistige Wirklichkeit ignorierte oder leugnete."
My problem is, the paper has built the case that metaphysics does not deal with "untruth" or "falsehood", which is all I have at hand. Thanks for any brainstorms...
Explanation: I think of this in connection to Unding, which translates as "absurdity" or more freely as "chimera", and is also a term widely used to describe the concoctions of Metaphysics by thinkers of the Enlightenment.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2010-08-14 19:14:40 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
The German prefix "un-" frequently means more than a mere formal negative. Rather, it has an intensive value, being almost equivalent to "anti-". I think this could be the case here. If so, then Unwahrheiten are more, and worse, than non-truths, or falsehoods, however one chooses to convey that meaning.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2010-08-14 19:16:27 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
For example: Unmensch means a monster, a fiend, rather than a non-human.
of the preceding sentence and its structure. But the Aufklärung as suffering "Unwahrheit" didn't seem to make sense and I discarded that reading, but now that I reread it, this refers only to a materialistische Variante...
I interpreted it that way because of the placement of the word "ihre" (proximity to Aufklärung) and the use of the word "Aufklärung" in the sentence "Diese Aufklärung hat an ihrer Unwahrheit". If "Unwahrheit" refers to metaphysics here, then I would expect it in quotation marks or italics because the writer does not seem to think metaphysics is untrue, false, absurd etc. But I admit, it all depends on context.
I think "Unwahrheit" could, in this particular sentence, pertain to "Aufklärung" although it would only be in relation to the "untrue/false/absurd" action of rejecting the metaphysical world. "Die Aufklärung hat an ihrer **Unwahrheit** immer daran leiden müssen, dass..." is maybe as saying "Die Aufklärung hat an ihrer Unwahrheit immer darunter/deswegen leiden müssen (suffered = had to be adversely affected, had to lack...insofar that), dass..."
metaphysical phenomena cannot be substantiated/demonstrated. Some philosophers even point out they can be falsified (so a certain falsity is there).
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
18 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +1
Absurdity
Explanation: I think of this in connection to Unding, which translates as "absurdity" or more freely as "chimera", and is also a term widely used to describe the concoctions of Metaphysics by thinkers of the Enlightenment.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2010-08-14 19:14:40 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
The German prefix "un-" frequently means more than a mere formal negative. Rather, it has an intensive value, being almost equivalent to "anti-". I think this could be the case here. If so, then Unwahrheiten are more, and worse, than non-truths, or falsehoods, however one chooses to convey that meaning.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2010-08-14 19:16:27 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
For example: Unmensch means a monster, a fiend, rather than a non-human.
Marcos Guntin Local time: 09:15 Specializes in field Native speaker of: Spanish, English PRO pts in category: 15
Grading comment
thanks everybody. In the end I took Annett's word and applied 'falsehood' rearranging the sentence.
1 hr confidence:
falsity
Explanation: as opposed to falsies...
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2010-08-14 19:29:30 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
erroneousness / erroneous nature (?)
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2 hrs (2010-08-14 20:01:47 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
its deserved rebuke
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2 hrs (2010-08-14 20:02:15 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
suffer rebuke
Jonathan MacKerron Local time: 14:15 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 16
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +1
