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Opinions regarding a Rousseau/Hobbes-related translation

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Yugnat Since: Nov, 2012 Relationship Status: Love blinded me (with science!)
#1: May 31st 2016 at 9:18:08 AM

Alright, I need some advice regarding a choice for the French translation.

Translating Black-and-White Morality is proving to be a bit of an issue due to its many subtropes. Translating it literally sounds weird, so we thought about naming it "Moralité Manichéenne" (Manichean Morality). When it comes to its subtropes though, it's hard to find anything that would fit the pattern.

Then I stumbled upon the Rousseau Was Right and Hobbes Was Right tropes, did a little research, and thought about translating White and Gray Morality as "Moralité de Rousseau" (Rousseau's Morality) and Black-and-Grey Morality as "Moralité de Hobbes" (Hobbes' Morality). I however realize that this is an oversimplification of these two philosophies, and that I might also be missing subtle differences between White-and-Grey Morality and Rousseau Was Right (and the two others). In popular culture though, there's often this simplification that Rousseau considers men inherently good, and Hobbes considers it inherently evil, which I believe would fit the trope.

So I'm looking for opinion : do you think that said translation would be acceptable, even if it is simplifying facts for the sake of being explicit, or is too misleading ?

In the latter case, we'd probably have to go with something like "Moralité Positive" (Positive Morality) or "Moralité Penchant Vers le Bien" (Morality Leaning Towards Good) and vice-versa ; I'm not a fan of losing the cultural reference and going for something so generic, but I'm waiting to hear some feedback before I make the definitive decision.

Oh, and for anyone wondering, Gray-and-Grey Morality would either be translated as "Moralité Neutre" (Neutral Morality), "Moralité Mixte" (Mixed Morality), or "Moralité Anti-Manichéenne" (Anti-Manichean Morality). It'll probably be one of the first two if we go with the generic translation, or the third if we go with Rousseau/Hobbes.

Thanks in advance ^^

Silvia12 Since: Aug, 2018
#2: Sep 21st 2018 at 12:26:08 PM

Surely you have already done it.

But: remember "readers are morons" and "rule of funny".

And there is "blue and orange morality", too.

Have a nice weekend :-) silvia12

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