Cultural relativism and the translatability of the cultural strange in the view of Quine and Davidson: an observation from the point of view of the social sciences

The following considerations are intended to show that some philosophical insights of W. v. O. Quine & D. Davidson about interpretation & translatability are also profitable for social scientists interested in the topic of intercultural understanding & communication. The problem of the "indeterminacy of translation" is reconstructed, & the pros & cons of the "principle of charity" with its implications for the limitation of relativism are discussed. It is argued that openness of analytical philosophy toward the social sciences -- an openness whose seeds are already present in Quine & Davidson -- is one essential condition for dealing adequately with the problem of relativism. Further, skepticism toward the understanding & mediation of cultural strangeness might benefit from Davidson's critical approach to the idea of different & incommensurable "conceptual schemes." The convergence of analytical thinking & the social sciences is addressed in the context of the connection between language, meaning, rule, & understanding. It is concluded that the understanding & mediation of cultural strangeness begins in each person's own cultural community. In Quine's & Davidson's words: "radical translation begins at home.". 76 References. Adapted from the source document.