Carl, Michael and Ren, Xinyue (2026) Beyond Representationalism: Reframing Translation Processes through the Enactivist ABC Framework. [Preprint]

Text Carl-Ren_Apr_30_ed-preprint.pdf Download (456kB)

Abstract

This paper addresses the persistent representational bias in Cognitive Translation Studies which typically models translation as higher-order inferential communication grounded in metarepresentational mindreading. Drawing on Relevance Realization (RR, Vervaeke et al. 2012) and the ABC framework of enacted cognition (Carl 2025b), we argue that translation can be adequately understood in non-representational terms, as an embodied, affectively modulated, and culturally scaffolded process of sense-making. Re-examining Gutt’s (2005) distinction between S-mode and I-mode translation through an enactivist lens, we show that these modes need not presuppose contentful mental representations but can be interpreted as distinct regimes of skilled engagement and reflective recalibration within a dynamically structured activity space.
We propose that relevance is not assessed over mental representations but dynamically enacted through the selective organization of translational affordances across time. We conceptualize this view as an extension to Relevance Theory (RT, Sperber & Wilson 1986; Gutt 1991/2000) by grounding relevance in resemblance in organism-environment coupling rather than internal symbol manipulation. The account preserves RT’s normative orientation while offering a unified explanation of translation cognition that naturally accommodates priming, affect, intuitive judgment, and cultural attunement.

---

Export/Citation:

EndNote | BibTeX | Dublin Core | ASCII/Text Citation (Chicago) | HTML Citation | OpenURL

Social Networking:

Share |

---

Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Carl, Michael mcarl6@kent.edu 0000-0002-2815-0292 Ren, Xinyue xren8@kent.edu 0000-0001-6239-7195
Keywords:	Relevance Theory; Relevance Realization; S-mode and I-mode Translation; ABC Framework of Enacted Cognition
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science Specific Sciences > Psychology > Comparative Psychology and Ethology Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science > Consciousness
Depositing User:	Dr. Michael Carl
Date Deposited:	02 Jun 2026 18:35
Last Modified:	02 Jun 2026 18:35
Item ID:	29868
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science Specific Sciences > Psychology > Comparative Psychology and Ethology Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science > Consciousness
Date:	1 June 2026
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/29868

Monthly Views for the past 3 years

Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years

Plum Analytics

Actions (login required)

View Item