Bestimmungsgrund

English translation: basis / determinant /determining factor

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Bestimmungsgrund
English translation:basis / determinant /determining factor
Entered by: Andy S

13:46 May 5, 2010
German to English translations [PRO]
Philosophy / The Will
German term or phrase: Bestimmungsgrund
"Ist der Wille der Bestimmungsgrund des Erkennens...? Oder ist umgekehrt das Erkennen, der Verstand, die vernünftige Erwägung der Bestimmungsgrund für den Willen...?"

How about "determining reason" here? Or is it a recognised philosophical term? I cannot find it in any of my sources.
Andy S
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:18
basis / determinant /determining factor
Explanation:
I think these would be the more normal translations.

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Note added at 1 hr (2010-05-05 15:11:29 GMT)
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'The main determining factor for our monarchic- constitutional system of government', ... 439: 'Der wesentlichste Bestimmungsgrund unseres monarchisch-
assets.cambridge.org/97805214/53608/sample/9780521453608ws.pdf

In "Income Formation as a Determinant of the Value of Money" (Die. Einkomnmengestaltung als Geidwert Bestimmungsgrund),
www.jstor.org/stable/1812294

Not easy to give you good refs since they are all the usual academic papers blocked to access.

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Note added at 9 hrs (2010-05-05 23:02:07 GMT)
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Happiness is “necessarily the desire [Verlangen] of every rational but finite being” and “an
unavoidable determinant [Bestimmungsgrund] of the faculty of desire”.
http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~kain/Abs_B_files/PrelimPrud.pdf

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Note added at 9 hrs (2010-05-05 23:05:21 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

...interest is the basis that determines approval [als Bestimmungsgrund des Beifalls], ... Let us return to Kant's exposition of the arguments for the .... Unlike a determinant judgment, taste judges without concepts...
muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_of_the.../62.4vandenabeele.html

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Note added at 1 day1 hr (2010-05-06 15:24:50 GMT) Post-grading
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Thanks, Andrew
Selected response from:

Helen Shiner
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:18
Grading comment
Thanks Helen
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2basis / determinant /determining factor
Helen Shiner
4ground of determination
Johanna Timm, PhD
3determining ground
Michael Wetzel


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
ground of determination


Explanation:
“Bestimmungsgrund” is a Kantian term.
http://shortify.com/10252

The standard translation is ” ground of determination”.

http://shortify.com/10254
http://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Mode/ModeFilh.htm


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Note added at 9 hrs (2010-05-05 22:57:50 GMT)
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In response to Helen's query as to why I chose this particular translation-- here is a quote from my 3rd reference:

"The strongest argument is based on the very nature of free-will in the "Metaphysic of Morals." There is a definition of free-will (freie Willkür) and its freedom. The faculty of desire (Begehrungsvermögen) is defined as "the faculty of being, through its representations, the cause of the objects of these representations." (9) On the other hand, "the faculty of desiring according to concepts, to the extent that its (of this faculty) ground of determination (Bestimmungsgrund) lies in itself rather than in the object is called the faculty of doing or omitting to do arbitrarily (nach Belieben zu tun oder zu lassen). To the extent that this faculty is joined to the consciousness of its capacity of action towards the production of its object, it is called will (Willkür)." (10)

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Note added at 9 hrs (2010-05-05 23:08:58 GMT)
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"Determining ground" or "det. principle" are alternative options;
http://shortify.com/10255.
Whichever term you may choose in the end - it is crucial to identify the term (and thought process described in your paragraph) as "Kantian" and to then look for an established translation in scholarly works.

Johanna Timm, PhD
Canada
Local time: 04:18
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 28
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Johanna


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Helen Shiner: There are just as many uses of 'determining ground', 'determinant' and 'determining factor' in Kantian texts. I am not sure why you argue for this one in particular./See also the text I have added to my answer.
2 mins
  -> see my added note.
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19 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
determining ground


Explanation:
Did you try to find it? It is a scholarly term.
It is included in the title of one of Kant's sub-sections of Kritik der Urteilskraft, which makes it very easy to find.
I don't have an English translation available, so I had to use Project Gutenberg. That means that the translation may very well be dated or unusual, but it also comes up in current secondary literature (google).
Theoretically, the translation could also be specific to Kant, but that doesn't seem very likely.
Because the translation is so old and I don't have any way to check for alternatives, I only gave it a "middle". But it has a chance of being correct in contrast to (admittedly much more attractive) translations 'from the hip'.


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Note added at 20 Stunden (2010-05-06 10:01:18 GMT)
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Please ignore my answer; I did the same to the above answers. I am not a philosopher and my philosophical dictionary is too small to help with this kind of question. I don't know what the current standard term is, but you need to find it, because it is a technical term. And I confused the source title in my text above: It is the "Critique of Pure Reason". Doesn't anyone have a recognized and up-to-date translation on their shelf?

Example sentence(s):
  • SECTION II. Of the Ideal of the Summum Bonum as a Determining Ground of the Ultimate End of Pure Reason.

    Reference: http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext03/cprrn10.txt
Michael Wetzel
Germany
Local time: 13:18
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Michael - there are references to German pages on Kant on the first page of Google results of course.

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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
basis / determinant /determining factor


Explanation:
I think these would be the more normal translations.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2010-05-05 15:11:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

'The main determining factor for our monarchic- constitutional system of government', ... 439: 'Der wesentlichste Bestimmungsgrund unseres monarchisch-
assets.cambridge.org/97805214/53608/sample/9780521453608ws.pdf

In "Income Formation as a Determinant of the Value of Money" (Die. Einkomnmengestaltung als Geidwert Bestimmungsgrund),
www.jstor.org/stable/1812294

Not easy to give you good refs since they are all the usual academic papers blocked to access.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 hrs (2010-05-05 23:02:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Happiness is “necessarily the desire [Verlangen] of every rational but finite being” and “an
unavoidable determinant [Bestimmungsgrund] of the faculty of desire”.
http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~kain/Abs_B_files/PrelimPrud.pdf

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 hrs (2010-05-05 23:05:21 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

...interest is the basis that determines approval [als Bestimmungsgrund des Beifalls], ... Let us return to Kant's exposition of the arguments for the .... Unlike a determinant judgment, taste judges without concepts...
muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_of_the.../62.4vandenabeele.html

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day1 hr (2010-05-06 15:24:50 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Thanks, Andrew

Helen Shiner
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:18
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 43
Grading comment
Thanks Helen
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks, Helen


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Rolf Keiser
45 mins
  -> Thanks, Goldcoaster

disagree  Liliana Galiano: The asker's version is in my opinion a much better choice.
7 hrs
  -> Thanks for your considered opinion; I wonder what you base it on?

agree  Lancashireman: Good options. Shame that the 'disagree' posted above is merely a tit-for-tat on a different question. The sort of thing that brings KudoZ into disrepute.
7 hrs
  -> Yes, looks like it, Andrew.

agree  Bianca Marsden-Day: 'determining factor' sounds best to me
17 hrs
  -> Thanks, Bianca
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