A Hermeneutic Critique on George Steiner’s Hermeneutic Motion in Translation

Abstract

George Steiner’s Hermeneutic Motion, published in his major book After Babel, is usually regarded as the most important theory in the hermeneutics and even philosophy of translation. The work, however, has received criticism by authors who normally write outside of the classical realm of hermeneutics. A lingering assumption is that hermeneutics, and even other strands of Continental philosophy, necessarily need or should rely on Steiner’s postulates. A critical approach to his theory from a hermeneutic perspective can clarify how valid/practical Steiner’s ideas are. Reviewing all of the chapters in After Babel, this study thematically unifies the criticisms on Steiner’s theory, while highlighting deeper conflicts in the work. As a most substantial reading of the hermeneutic motion, the study emphasizes the importance of emerging hermeneutic theories of translation in the twenty-first century.