Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Sinnlichkeit & Sinn

English translation:

sensuousness and sense

Added to glossary by Max Nuijens
Apr 14, 2008 08:16
16 yrs ago
5 viewers *
German term

Sinnlichkeit & Sinn

German to English Social Sciences Philosophy
"The principle of symbolic pregnance states that there is a primordial unity between ‘sensuousness’ (Sinnlichkeit) and ‘sense’ (Sinn) in the symbol that cannot be meaningfully separated into its constitutive parts."

How are Sinnlichhkeit and Sinn properly translated into English? Sensuousness seems wrong because of the sexual connotation. It is a thesis on the philosopy of Ernst Cassirer.

Discussion

Hilary Davies Shelby Apr 14, 2008:
I was just wondering whether we should throw "sensuality" into the mix here! ;-) It DOES have more sexual connotations than "sensuousness" in my opinion.
franglish Apr 14, 2008:
"Sinn" here is rendered as "reason", "Sinnlichkeit as "sensousness", though the last, googling around, has frequently been translated as "sensuality".
franglish Apr 14, 2008:
The Philosophy of the Enlightenment - Google Books Resultby Ernst Cassirer - 1968 - Philosophy - 384 pages
... and the pure spontaneity which also dwells in the sensuous, in other words, ... and to achieve a new productive synthesis of "reason" and "sensibility. ...
books.google.ch/books?isbn=0691019630...

franglish Apr 14, 2008:
[DOC] Aesthetic Autonomy and the Critique of Modernity:File Format: Microsoft Word - View as HTML
In the work of the artist content and form, reason and sensuousness, theory and practice, .... Ernst Cassirer, The Philosophy of the Enlightenment, trans. .
Anne Schulz Apr 14, 2008:
I don't know Cassirer's concepts - but "Sinnlichkeit" appears to include a strong physical appeal to the senses (not necessarily sexual), like the wind in your hair or a delicate taste in your mouth, which you would have to capture in your translation.
Craig Meulen Apr 14, 2008:
There are writings in English about and from Cassirer, you should be able to find this core concept somewhere and see how others phrased it. Be very careful, because there is a very fine line here between "sense"=meaning and "sense"=the five senses.
mill2 Apr 14, 2008:
You're right, Craig, why don't you post this as an answer?
Max Nuijens (asker) Apr 14, 2008:
But then what is the difference between sensibility and sensuousness? Perhaps I should look for a more technical approach like 'sensitory' to rid the translation from connotations that would sneak in if I would use something like 'sentitivity'. It it about human beings, but I have to have a factual and neutral word.
Craig Meulen Apr 14, 2008:
I think in this context the words are fine - the sexual connotation is only one aspect of the word and obviously not the one that is appropriate here.

Proposed translations

+3
27 mins
Selected

sensuousness and sense

I would not use "Sensibility" here. it is something entirely different. it stands for Empfindlichkeit, Empfindsamkeit, Sensibilität, Zartgefühl.
Peer comment(s):

agree mill2
2 mins
agree Craig Meulen : thank you for confirming what I thought :-)
4 mins
neutral Edith Kelly : Craig Meulen said that already in his note to asker so why post then, let Craig post this.
6 mins
agree mary austria : I agree all the way!!
9 mins
neutral Jim Tucker (X) : "sensuality" is more precise here, as the meaning is not necessarily erotic, merely literally "sinnlich"
10 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Well, I decided to keep it as it is. This is also the way the author wants it - so, he gets it. Thanks for all your research!"
+1
9 mins

sensibility and sense


not sure if it fits your context but this is the standard translation i.e. the German here is a translation from the Engish


Sensibility and Sense (1990) (TV) - Soundtracks- [ Diese Seite übersetzen ]Sensibility and Sense on IMDb: Movies, TV, Celebs, and more...
www.imdb.com/title/tt0100578/soundtrack -


Sinn und Sinnlichkeit (Sense and Sensiblity) / Austen, Jane im Ciao Preisvergleich unter Austen, Jane. Lesen Sie 4 Testberichte zu Sinn und Sinnlichkeit ...
www.ciao.de/Sinn_und_Sinnlichkeit_Sense_and_Sensiblity_Aust...
Peer comment(s):

agree Stephen Sadie : although naturally better known the other way round as in the Jane Austen cited by Edith
2 mins
neutral Craig Meulen : "standard" translation? Surely your context is a bit different? In any case, sensibility is definitely something different to sensuousness. Let the asker choose which one is best for him!
5 mins
Well, sense and sensibility is a novel by Jane Austen, translated into Sinn und Sinnlichkeit. That's why I posted with low CI. I personally do not like sensuousness for the reason given by asker but let the peers decide.
neutral CMJ_Trans (X) : This one crossed my mind at once (as in JA) for the same reasons as EdithK but I had and still have doubts
12 mins
neutral Jim Tucker (X) : not here; these are not Austen's themes, but a philosophical topos
10 hrs
Something went wrong...
+3
1 hr

sensory experience (quality) & (nonintuitive) meaning

closer to the explanation below.
"sensuousness is also okay in my view, but "Sinn" is clearly "meaning" here.

or: is a sensory experience which at the same time contains a certain nonintuitive meaning

http://www.yale.edu/yup/pdf/081146_front_1.pdf

Cassirer, Phenomenology of Knowledge, p. ...: “It is with a view to expressing this mutual determination that we introduce the concept and term ‘symbolic pregnance.
’ By symbolic pregnance we mean the way in which a perception as a sensory experience contains at the same time a certain nonintuitive meaning which it immediately and concretely represents.”

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2008-04-14 10:32:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

One could argue that "reason" is meant with "sense" here but I would be careful. Mental articulation is closer to it (IMO).

Here is an attempt (only) to explain a little more based on the information below.

"Meaning" here seems to describe a representational, condensed, abstract "form/version" of the "sensory experience" or what is experienced through the senses. The sensory experience is expressed in/transformed into (and this actually happens at the same time as the sensory experience) a meaningful and new, concise form/in non-representational form (symbolic form); it is a mental articulation of the sensory experience. The sensory experience determines how this articulation occurs, and the specific form/way of articulation (articulating) expresses the experience; these two are interconnected. This process of sensory experience and mental articulation is what cannot be separated. It is described as pregnance.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Cassirer

„Unter ,symbolischer Prägnanz' soll also die Art verstanden werden in der ein Wahrnehmungserlebnis, als ,sinnliches' Erlebnis, zugleich einen bestimmten nicht-anschaulichen ,Sinn' in sich faßt und ihn zur unmittelbaren konkreten Darstellung bringt.“

Die symbolische Prägnanz lässt sich prozessual beschreiben als eine immanente Gliederung im Akt der Wahrnehmung und eine anschließende Repräsentation. So bilden sich im Sehen und für das Sehen die Gestalten aus. Die immanente Gliederung des sinnlichen Gehalts ist Voraussetzung dafür, dass die Welt nicht als amorphe Masse begegnet: durch Verdichtung und Herauslösung bilden sich Formen, Gestalten, Kontraste, welche durch Fixierung zu einer Identität (gegenüber anderen Wahrnehmungsinhalten) gelangen. Damit diese aber zu einer Dauerhaftigkeit kommen und sich „aus dem Strom des Bewusstseins bestimmte gleichbleibende Grundgestalten teils begrifflicher, teils rein anschaulicher Natur“ herausheben, braucht es eine anschließende Repräsentation. Damit tritt dann „an die Stelle des fließenden Inhalts [...] eine in sich geschlossene und in sich beharrende Form.“[4] Dabei wird nicht ein beliebiger Sinn zum Wahrnehmungsinhalt hinzuaddiert, sondern das Wahrgenommene wird in ein Sinnganzes eingebettet weil es eine Form gewinnt, die über sich hinaus weist:

Vielmehr ist es die Wahrnehmung selbst, die kraft ihrer eigenen immanenten Gliederung eine Art von geistiger ,Artikulation' gewinnt [...] Diese ideelle Verwobenheit, diese Bezogenheit des einzelnen, hier und jetzt gegebenen Wahrnehmungsphänomens, soll der Ausdruck ,Prägnanz' bezeichnen.

Peer comment(s):

agree Craig Meulen : THANK YOU Bernhard!! Now we're getting somewhere ...
7 mins
thanks, Craig!
agree franglish
4 hrs
thank you!
agree gangels (X) : wholeheartedly agree. Als:'constituent parts', not constitutive
5 hrs
thank you!
Something went wrong...
+2
5 hrs

sensuality and sense

sensuality: gratification of the senses, self-indulgence, eroticism
Peer comment(s):

agree Jim Tucker (X) : right answer, though for the wrong reasons; "sensuality" does not necessarily connote eroticism. // yes, I was responding to your definition, which of course is not what the asker is looking for; your answer is, though.
5 hrs
Thanks Jim! Eroticism is only one of the connotations, also regarding the German sense of the word.
agree babli : agree
17 hrs
Thank you Babli!
Something went wrong...
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search