蒯因翻译不确定性论题哲学阐释.pdfVIP

Abstract Willard Van Orman Quine (1908-2000) was an outstanding American philosopher, mathematician, and logician in the analytic tradition in the latter half of the 20th century. Quine‟s thesis of indeterminacy of translation has puzzled a large circle of philosophers for more than 50 years. Quine‟s thesis, undoubtedly, is among the best-known and most-disputed theses in contemporary philosophy; and thus, it is of no difficulty for readers to find the interpretations of Quine‟s thesis of indeterminacy of translation everywhere. Unquestionably, there is no determinate solution to any philosophical problem. Quine‟s thesis could be interpreted in divergent ways by different readers. There might even be two Quines in one reader‟s eyes at the same time. It is no wonder, therefore, that such interpretations as what Quine‟s thesis of indeterminacy of translation is, how it relates to Quine‟s other relevant theses, and what it derives from, vary as time and readers differ. Philosophical interpretation of Quine‟s thesis of indeterminacy of translation in this paper is totally based on Quine‟s authentic works. On the one hand, it may he lp readers get rid of certain prejudice against Quine‟s thesis by means of dissipating their misinterpretations; in the meantime, it may enable readers to understand this thesis in more depth at a higher level. To be specific, Quine‟s thesis of indetermina cy of translation can be compared to a point. If we would like to obtain a relatively comprehensive philosophical interpretation of this point, there are two requirements. The first requirement is that relations of this point with other relevant points have to be clarified, in other wo