Glossary entry (derived from question below)
German term or phrase:
Wissensfigur
English translation:
cognitive figure
Added to glossary by
dobri
May 9, 2010 19:48
14 yrs ago
German term
Wissensfigur
German to English
Other
Philosophy
The essay is about the relationship/correlation of human beings and animals attempting to reverse their hierarchy.
The context is the following:
"Die Krone der Schöpfung scheint in dieser Blickwendung als das Defizitär der Figur des Tieres. Mit der Wissensfigur des Tieres wird die Frage nach dem Verhältnis von Tier und Mensch jedoch aus einem platten Biologismus gelöst und über seine Kasuistik hinaus systematisiert – seine Bühne ist nicht länger das Varieté und der Tierpark, seine Bühne ist die moderne Ordnung des Wissens selbst."
Is it possible to translate the term "Wissensfigur" with "figure of knowledge" or "knowledge-figure"? The problem is that the authors would like their essay 'PR-suitable'...
The context is the following:
"Die Krone der Schöpfung scheint in dieser Blickwendung als das Defizitär der Figur des Tieres. Mit der Wissensfigur des Tieres wird die Frage nach dem Verhältnis von Tier und Mensch jedoch aus einem platten Biologismus gelöst und über seine Kasuistik hinaus systematisiert – seine Bühne ist nicht länger das Varieté und der Tierpark, seine Bühne ist die moderne Ordnung des Wissens selbst."
Is it possible to translate the term "Wissensfigur" with "figure of knowledge" or "knowledge-figure"? The problem is that the authors would like their essay 'PR-suitable'...
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+1
1 hr
Marcos Guntin
United States
United States
Native in English
Specializes in field
United States
Legal and Financial Translations
Native in: Spanish 
, English
Works in: German to Spanish, German to English, English to Spanish, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
15
Selected
cognitive figure
This might sound somewhat natural without resorting to a wholly free translation.
3 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Yes, thank you Marcos. I think "cognitive figure" in the sense of "concept" or "notion" meets the intention of the German term best. "
5 hrs
David Hollywood
Native in English
worked for int. orgs (IMF, OAS, IDB)
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, German to English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
cognitive being/creature/entity
a few ideas ...
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Note added at 5 hrs (2010-05-10 01:00:44 GMT)
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or maybe "thinking" for "cognitive"
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Note added at 5 hrs (2010-05-10 01:00:44 GMT)
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or maybe "thinking" for "cognitive"
7 hrs
(cognition and) knowledge figure
In this sense then the image contains and controls ways of cognition
and knowledge figures, implies a historical index as the historical trace of knowledge, which generates itself largely from the respective specific kind of figurative thought.
The image then is always already a condensation where past and present impressions coalesce into a knowledge figure.
...
In the artwork Genesis we find a knowledge figure, a basic figure of anthropology which may be viewed, in Hans Blumenberg’s thought, as an “absolute metaphor”: the topos of aliveness.
www.ekac.org/knowledge_in_the_arts.pdf
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Note added at 10 hrs (2010-05-10 05:54:01 GMT)
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On second thoughts:
figure of cognition
http://shortify.com/ZA9
and knowledge figures, implies a historical index as the historical trace of knowledge, which generates itself largely from the respective specific kind of figurative thought.
The image then is always already a condensation where past and present impressions coalesce into a knowledge figure.
...
In the artwork Genesis we find a knowledge figure, a basic figure of anthropology which may be viewed, in Hans Blumenberg’s thought, as an “absolute metaphor”: the topos of aliveness.
www.ekac.org/knowledge_in_the_arts.pdf
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Note added at 10 hrs (2010-05-10 05:54:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
On second thoughts:
figure of cognition
http://shortify.com/ZA9
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Jim Tucker (X)
: That link was not written by a native EN speaker; full of Germanisms ("Above the Petri dish we find the brackets of microscope lights", and the like)
1 hr
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Point taken. On second thoughts, I'm suggesting "figure of cognition". How do you feel about it?
|
11 hrs
object of knowledge
It's definitely a technical term, so a literal translation will be of little use to the reader. Unfortunately I'm not in a library, so I don't have access to the kind of lexica that could give a solid answer here.
If Foucault is a good point of reference, then this is probably a very solid term, otherwise it may not be.
"Alongside the animal as an object of knowledge, the ..." Is this the right way to understand the sentence in the context? Otherwise the author may just be dropping big words without worrying about their actual meaning.
To check, search: Foucault + "object of knowledge"
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Note added at 11 Stunden (2010-05-10 07:34:47 GMT)
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"object of scientific inquiry"/"object of scientific analysis" is a less technical sounding solution that may suit your clients better
If Foucault is a good point of reference, then this is probably a very solid term, otherwise it may not be.
"Alongside the animal as an object of knowledge, the ..." Is this the right way to understand the sentence in the context? Otherwise the author may just be dropping big words without worrying about their actual meaning.
To check, search: Foucault + "object of knowledge"
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 Stunden (2010-05-10 07:34:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"object of scientific inquiry"/"object of scientific analysis" is a less technical sounding solution that may suit your clients better
Example sentence:
Foucault uses the word to refer to the fact that it is not just the object of knowledge which is constructed but also the knower.
14 hrs
Michél Dallaserra
Germany
Germany
Native in German
&
English
Works in field
Germany
Publication-ready translations
Native in: German , English
Works in: English to German, Hebrew to German, French to German, and 1 more.
knowing subject
The animal as a knowing subject would be a valid solution in the given context, I think.
Certainly not "object" in whatever combination.
Certainly not "object" in whatever combination.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Damian Harrison (X)
: While animals are of course knowing subjects, I don't think that is what is meant here. Rather, Wissensfigur refers to literally a "figure of thinking" i.e. a specific conceptualisation of the animal as a way of exploring human / animal relations.
2 days 23 hrs
|
+2
21 hrs
Johanna Timm, PhD
Canada
Canada
Native in German
Specializes in field
Canada
Friendly, fast & certified!
Native in: German (Variants: Austrian, Germany, Swiss, Platt / Nieder (Low German)) 
Works in: English to German, German to English, German
Related KudoZ points
:
28
topos
Figur, here, is used in the sense of a topos/topic/theme
More on "Wissensfigur"
http://shortify.com/10275
More on topoi:
http://humanities.byu.edu/rhetoric/Canons/Invention/TOPICS O...
More on "Wissensfigur"
http://shortify.com/10275
More on topoi:
http://humanities.byu.edu/rhetoric/Canons/Invention/TOPICS O...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Damian Harrison (X)
2 days 17 hrs
|
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thanks, Damian!
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| agree |
Jim Tucker (X)
3 days 8 hrs
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Thanks, Jim :-)
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