Translating Psychoanalytic Texts Into Ukrainian: Discoveries and Further Steps

This article explores the significance of translating classical and contemporary psychoanalytic texts into Ukrainian. It substantiates the existing distinction between natural sciences and humanities by considering their respective use of language as a means of describing the world. By applying the phenomenological conception of language as an existential fact, essential to the constitution of a world conducive to self-understanding for individuals and communities, the article demonstrates the importance of language in creating a shared intersubjective world. This world emerges through communication between diverse cultures, with translation playing a crucial role. The article also highlights the historical isolation of Ukrainian culture from direct interaction with other cultures, with Russian culture serving as a mediating influence that hindered the authentic assimilation of global traditions. Restoring direct engagement with global cultures has become a significant challenge for Ukrainian intellectuals, aiming to disentangle the Ukrainian nation from Russian influence and shape its unique self-understanding and relations with the world. Translation serves as a pivotal tool in this restoration process.