Kant on Translation

For Kant, communication is possible with both non-verbal and verbal language. Non-verbal language is universal and does not require translation. Verbal language is different because it uses hearable signs that do not connect words with specific images, and because it is based on conventions and association. This makes verbal language indispensable for abstract thinking but also not universal and in need of translation. I argue that what Kant says about translation not only complies with his conception of verbal language, but has interesting consequences, such as his claims that only true poetry is translatable, that translations enriched the German language making it suitable for philosophy and that, since Germans translated everything, anyone who knew German could know everything without learning other languages. I also suggest that the German passion for translation promotes cosmopolitanism and patriotism that jointly respond to Kant’s call to eradicate nationalism. Finally, I highlight Kant’s acknowledgment of the work of translators.