Björn Vrooman Sep 29, 2019:

Hello Gordon Thank you for your reply and now I have to apologize for not saying something sooner!

You're right that, e.g., "mit Traditionen brechen" is usually translated as "break with tradition," so I don't have an issue with your suggestion either.

I'm not sure why you keep using "dualism."

E.g., not one of the following Wiki explanations match this question:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dualism

Also, any kind of yin and yang dualism is out too (that's not what man vs. machine is about), and you said yourself that "dualistic thinking" seems nicer (and it's an option I could support).

In my experience, dualism is used in a wider variety of contexts in German, whereas the same goes for dichotomy in English. One example is self and other (see Q):
https://manchester.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.72...

Verb use may vary with the choice of noun (dissolve is definitely OK for dichotomy, as is break down), so I guess it depends on how you translate the rest of the text.

Still, I don't think that justifies a disagree, considering the question. Being less literal is usually not a downside in the arts.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Gordon Matthews Sep 26, 2019:

"break down"/"break with"/"transcend"/"overcome" Sorry, Björn, let me try to answer your question. I don't have too much of a problem with "break down", except that it implies that it is possible to break down dualisms altogether, i.e. in other people's minds, as well as one's own. I would therefore prefer "break with", "break away from", "transcend", or "overcome". Thanks for pointing out that the German term is "brechen mit" and not simply "brechen". Nevertheless, I still feel that "break with" or "break away from" is a more accurate translation of "brechen mit" than "overcome" or "transcend" would be. Although I prefer the "transcendental" approach to dualisms, I don't think that should influence my translation. I'm open to being corrected as regards what the most accurate translation would be. I would translate "überwinden" as "overcome" or "transcend". Does "brechen mit" really mean the same as "überwinden"? Not in my mind.

Steffen Walter Sep 26, 2019:

I see your point, Sebastian, but ... ... you could have taken more time irrespective of the tight deadline.

Björn Vrooman Sep 26, 2019:

@Gordon Instead of answering my question, you're posting a disagreement? The German is NOT brechen, but "brechen mit": "mit etwas brechen: die bestehende Verbindung zu etwas lösen"
https://de.wiktionary.org/wiki/brechen

Also, I supported overcome; "...overcome the dichotomy..." is perfectly acceptable.

In addition, we seem to agree that dualism is not the right choice. I'd rather not say anything else about register and logic because I'd like to keep it family-friendly.

Best

Jennifer Caisley Sep 26, 2019:

I agree with Steffen! Sebastian, it's very kind of you to award points to my speedy, on-the-fly answer (which I flagged up as such), but I do think that there are more worthy winners here - with my vote, both literally and figuratively, going to Steffen's 'transcend'!

Sebastian Witte (asker) Sep 26, 2019:

Hi Steffen, Thank you for your query. See KudoZ rules and actual asker needs do not always match in the individual case. Explanation for decision can be found in grading comments. Cheers.

Steffen Walter Sep 26, 2019:

@ Sebastian Why would speed be at all relevant to this question, i.e. selecting the best answer from the posted suggestions?

Björn Vrooman Sep 25, 2019:

Hello Steffen This is why I'd prefer your first option (overcomes).

Besides dissolve, my choice would probably be "...rejects the dichotomy..." May seem a bit forceful, but that's part of her creative process.

Also, I wonder what Gordon would think of "breaks down" instead of "breaks with," as in: "This claim breaks down the dichotomy between networks and organizations that has emerged in much of the literature on political violence by instead showing..."
https://paulstanilanddotcom.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/stan...

Best

Steffen Walter Sep 25, 2019:

Indeed, Björn I was about to add a comment re. "dichotomy", but you beat me to it.

Björn Vrooman Sep 25, 2019:

Dualism? Really? It's called dichotomy, which everyone should know, at least those who have studied social sciences:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dichotomy

Dichotomy + dissolve. Hey, there's even a poem about that:
https://martynwebber.com/category/poetry

Gordon Matthews Sep 25, 2019:

to break away from dualistic thinking "to break away from" seems to me to be the most accurate translation of "brechen" in this context. I note that the asker doesn't like "break with", though, which is very similar. I would be interested to know why the asker isn't comfortable with "break with".
Another thought that comes to my mind is that "dualistic thinking" might be a better alternative to "dualisms", which is a somewhat unfamiliar and possibly ambiguous term, which initially makes me think of "isms" as in ideologies such as theism, socialism, nationalism, etc.