Dialogue between Philosophy and Science: translating life for the transformation of humanity

Abstract

On June 26, 2023, the first low-carbon participatory workshop to develop INRAE’s decarbonization strategy continued its reflections with a dialogue between philosopher Souleymane Bachir Diagne and scientist and geneticist Catherine Bastien. This conversation shed light on the challenges of translating life in order to transform humanity. In his book De langue à langue. L’hospitalité de la traduction, Souleymane Bachir Diagne “offers a reflection on translation and on its capacity—its power—to create a relationship of equivalence and reciprocity between identities, to bring them together so they may appear alongside one another as equals, enabling us to speak to one another and understand each other from language to language.”According to Armelle Carnet, Director of INRAE’s Social and Environmental Responsibility Division, this book highlights the importance of respect and ethics between men and women, and among cultures, to foster a shared humanity. The dialogue revolves around four themes. The first addresses time within the process of transformation towards a desirable future. The second considers the scientist as a translator or intermediary for humanity and all living beings. The third revisits the philosophical concept of Ubuntu, which emphasizes creating humanity together. The final theme focuses on a transversal humanist culture: thinking in terms of totality and restoring the capacity to act. This article brings together excerpts from the conference, which can be listened to in full via the following link: https://mediatheque.inrae.fr/INRAE/embed/public/537133141.