Virtue ethics in translation

Abstract

Virtue theories of ethics start from the assumption that a good person’s character demonstrates various forms of excellence, known since classical times in the West as virtues, such as courage or justice. Virtue ethics includes both utilitarian considerations (an action’s consequences) and contractual ones (the demands of duty). Views of what counts as a significant virtue have varied, but several virtues are relevant to translator ethics, including fidelity, loyalty, truthfulness and justice. Within Translation Studies, interpretations of professionally important virtues have given rise to arguments about equivalence, the ethical representation of the Other, and the responsibility of the translator and other agents such as employers. Virtue ethics can shed light on professional codes of conduct such as the Translator’s Charter. A virtue-based Hieronymic Oath has been proposed to highlight the importance of professional translation ethics in translator training. Virtue ethics also bears on recent conceptualizations of translation quality which include an assessment of working conditions. Finally, virtue ethics may clarify situations where there is a clash between professional ethics and a translator’s personal ethics or telos (personal life goal).