“Goulash socialism” vs feminism? Beauvoir in Hungary

Hurley, UK; Naray-Davey, S

Abstract

This chapter seeks to illuminate the ways in which cultural and historical conditions in Hungary have made aspects of Beauvoir’s thought less legible in the socialist and post-socialist context. Setting out these conditions, the chapter goes on to investigate how the abridged Hungarian translation distorted Beauvoir’s argument conceptually and linguistically, and there�fore limited its ability to set an agenda and vocabulary for feminist thought and activism in Hungary. The chapter concludes by suggesting ways in which Beauvoir remains relevant to the situation of Hungarian women in the twenty-first century, arguing that a new, complete, and philosophically aware translation of Le Deuxième Sexe has the potential to offer a reflective space and conceptual tools for countering the right�wing Christian conservatism and repressive gender politics of the Orbán regime.

Citation

Hurley, U., & Naray-Davey, S. (2023). “Goulash socialism” vs feminism? Beauvoir in Hungary. In J. Bullock, & P. Henry-Tierney (Eds.), Translating Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex: Transnational Framing, Interpretation, and Impact (83-104). New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003363767-7

• Online Publication Date: May 8, 2023
• Publication Date: May 8, 2023
• Deposit Date: Feb 13, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 9, 2024
• Publisher: Routledge
• Pages: 83-104
• Book Title: Translating Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex: Transnational Framing, Interpretation, and Impact.
• ISBN: 9781003363767
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003363767-7
• Publisher URL: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9781003363767/translating-simone-de-beauvoir-second-sex-julia-bullock-pauline-henry-tierney