IFCH PhD student translates fundamental works by William James for the Penguin collection

Camila von Holdefer Kehl signs an unprecedented translation of “The Will to Believe” and “The Sentiment of Rationality”, with notes and critical comments, to be published in 2026 by Penguin-Companhia das Letras

The PhD student in Philosophy at the Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences at UFRGS, Camila von Holdefer Kehl, is responsible for the unprecedented translation of two fundamental texts by the American philosopher and psychologist William James: The Will to Believe and The Sentiment of Rationality. The publication, which is part of the prestigious Grandes Ideias collection, from publisher Penguin-Companhia das Letras, is scheduled for February 2026.

In addition to the translations, the volume will feature notes and critical comments prepared by Camila, who is developing her doctorate on James's work under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Kathrin Rosenfield and co-supervision of Prof. Dr. Tadeu Mello e Souza.

A project in dialogue between philosophy and neuroscience

Camila began her doctorate with the proposal to translate the monumental work The Principles of Psychology, in two volumes, totaling around 1,600 pages. The project, although still open, was temporarily suspended in favor of advancing the thesis. “I chose the thesis, but I still have the project open, waiting for the right time to resume it”, he says.

The texts now translated were chosen in partnership with Penguin editor, Antonio Xerxenesky, as they represent an excellent gateway to James's thoughts. The will to believe articulates Jamesian epistemology — including pragmatism — to the reflections present in The Varieties of Religious Experience. The feeling of rationality rejects closed systems of thought and anticipates the pluralism defended by James.

“They are transitional texts in more than one sense”, says Camila. “In addition to establishing conceptual connections within the author’s work, they also function as an invitation to read it.”

The challenge of translating William James

According to the translator, James's work requires a fine balance in linguistic transposition. "His writing is literary, full of digressions and figures of speech. It is necessary to maintain Portuguese vocabulary and syntax between formal and informal registers: without weighing down the text with mesoclisis, but without anachronism."

Familiarity with the author's universe — who was the brother of novelist Henry James — was essential for the work. “You become a bit of a tightrope walker when translating James”, summarizes Camila.

Between philosophy and neuroscience: an interdisciplinary trajectory

In addition to her doctorate in Philosophy, Camila is also a master's student in Neurosciences at UFRGS. For her, the dialogue between the two areas is inevitable: "I don't think you can study consciousness without reading James. To this day, the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness, the main one in the field, awards the James Prize."

His entry into the Postgraduate Program in Neurosciences was based on his interest in theories of consciousness and had the support of professor Tadeu Mello e Souza, also co-supervisor of his thesis in Philosophy.

“Translating is building bridges across borders. And that's what I try to do with my work: cross disciplinary boundaries to think more broadly and rigorously.”