Philosophical Translation in the Work of Najib Al-Hassadi: A Study of the Epistemological, Cultural, and Civilizational Dimensions of His Translation Practice

Abstract

This research aims to examine philosophical translation—its significance and the conditions governing it—through the experience of the Libyan thinker Najib Al-Hassadi. It seeks to highlight the importance of his efforts and his contribution to the Arab intellectual landscape, spanning his work on key philosophical figures and schools of thought, culminating in his translation of the *Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy*. Given philosophy’s role as a critical mode of thought that has historically fueled the renaissance of nations—originating in the West and sparking an early desire to transmit this human heritage—translation served as the vehicle for conveying ancient Greek thought as well as modern and contemporary European philosophy. It evolved from the mere transfer of philosophical texts from a source language to the translator's language—driven by scholarly and cognitive motives—into a process that, influenced by hermeneutic approaches, elevated the recipient culture to a level commensurate with the heritage's originators. Furthermore, a civilizational-cultural objective bridges these aims: it combines the literal transmission of knowledge—while remaining mindful of the philosophies' origins in nations whose ravages were once suffered under odious colonialism—with a perceived cultural necessity to uplift Arab peoples and keep pace with the latest developments in the philosophical field. These translations, undertaken for civilizational reasons such as cross-cultural openness following eras of expansion and the honing of translation skills, transcend the mere Arabization of texts. They foster a profound identification between minds and cultures within a shared human sphere that insists on communication despite linguistic diversity, becoming a driving passion to seek out and transmit all that is new. One of the findings of this research is that contemporary philosophical translation—to which numerous Arab thinkers and philosophers across the Arab world have contributed—sheds light on how the translator engages with Western philosophical output, acting as an intermediary between two cultures. Furthermore, the study chronicles the Libyan philosophical movement, highlighting its positive impact as an Enlightenment-oriented endeavor that fostered cross-cultural engagement with the "Other.