Prof. Hasok Chang
University of Cambridge
Productive Cross-linguistic
Disturbances in Philosophy
Please register for the event here.
When:
Wednesday, Apr 22, 16:15-17:45
Where:
VUB Main Campus Etterbeek
Pleinlaan 2
1050 Elsene
Raadzaal C2.07a
*Free of charge*
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel invites you to a lecture by Prof. Hasong Chang (University of Cambridge), entitled “Productive Cross-linguistic Disturbances in Philosophy“. This lecture is part of the ERC lecture series ‘Knowledge in International Perspective’ (KIIP).
Contact: nicolo.cantoni@vub.be and demetrios.paraschos@vub.be
Prof. Hasok Chang: In this talk I will make an attempt to examine the productive potential of examining our familiar philosophical conceptions through the lens of other languages. In many cases a concept that seems unproblematically unitary in one language appears fragmented when translated into another language. It also happens routinely that the connotations of a concept in one language turn out to be very different when translated into another language. These are familiar phenomena to anyone who learns a new language, and they happen in the domain of philosophy as well. Such cross-linguistic disturbances are important in philosophy because arguments often rest heavily on the presumed unity or connotations of a concept. Cross-linguistic examination gives fresh scrutiny to our philosophical arguments, and provides useful insights for “conceptual engineering”. I will illustrate these points through the cases of “truth” and “belief” in Anglophone philosophy refracted through the lens of the Korean language, inviting audience members to engage in similar reflections with the languages they speak.
About Prof. Hasok Chang
Hasok Chang is the Hans Rausing Professor at the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge and a board member of the Philosophy of Science Association. He previously served as president of the British Society for the History of Science from 2012 to 2014. His areas of interest include the history and philosophy of chemistry and physics, the philosophy of scientific practice, measurement in quantum mechanics, realism, scientific evidence, pluralism and pragmatism.
