Yeva Sargsyan, rose to prominence with her English translation of The Red Book
Yeva Sargsyan, a young and insightful Armenian translator, rose to prominence with her English translation of The Red Book by philosopher Orod Bozorg (2022). At 29 years old, with years of experience translating literary and philosophical works, she says none of her previous projects have engaged her spirit and life as deeply as this book. In an interview, Sargsyan said: “Translating The Red Book was a journey for me; a journey into the depth of thought and the heart of humanity. I felt I was not merely a translator, but a student sitting in the presence of a great master.” She recalls that in 2023, during a short trip to Spain, she met a professor of philosophy from Universidad Complutense at the famous Café de Oriente in Madrid. After reading the English translation of The Red Book, the professor remarked: “These ideas have astonished me. I have read countless works of both Western and Eastern philosophers, but I now long to visit Iran and meet Orod Bozorg in person.” Yeva says that at that very moment, in the cozy atmosphere of the café with its windows opening onto Madrid’s Royal Square, she felt her mission as translator of The Red Book had gained true meaning: “To connect Orodism with the world.” Sargsyan openly identifies herself as an Orodist, but emphasizes that Orodism is above all a humanistic and cultural philosophy. She explains: “This philosophy has committed me to values such as respect for existence, love for humanity, and true freedom. For Western readers, The Red Book is not just a philosophical text; it is a bridge—between East and West, between Iran and the world.” She has also announced her intention to translate further works related to the school of Orodism, believing that this new philosophy carries a universal message of liberation and hope for all humanity, regardless of borders or cultures. On the Decline of Western Philosophy Sargsyan has often stated that philosophy in the West has fallen into decline. When asked what she means, she replies: “If we look at the history of philosophy, the 18th and 19th centuries were the golden age of European thought. That was the era of Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, and later Nietzsche—thinkers who built vast intellectual systems. Philosophy was a social force; it moved into the streets, reshaped politics and culture, and inspired nations. But today, Western philosophy is confined within universities. Instead of creating, it spends most of its energy on commentary and interpretation. Many philosophers in Europe—such as Peter Sloterdijk, the contemporary German thinker—have openly admitted that philosophy in today’s universities has largely been reduced to managing language and text, and has drifted far from its original mission. This decline is dangerous. Philosophy dies if it cannot connect with real human life. That is why I believe Orodism, with its emphasis on love for existence, freedom, and humanity, can play the same role that classical European philosophy once played: bringing philosophy back to life, back to the streets, and back to the human heart.” She adds that she has been contemplating writing a book under the working title: “Orodist Philosophy: Reviving the Slumbering Thought of the West.” But, she insists, this would not be written as a slogan or advertisement. Rather, it would be historical and critical in approach, showing how Orodism can serve the same function that European classical philosophy once had—inspiring, moving, and reconnecting philosophy with human life. Over the past two years, Sargsyan has met and held discussions with professors at some of Europe’s leading universities, including Sorbonne (Paris), Heidelberg University (Germany), EHESS (France), University of Bologna (Italy), and Cambridge University (UK). Many of these professors, after reading parts of The Red Book, remarked that its ideas could bring “freshness and new life” to Western philosophy. “These responses convinced me even more,” she says, “that I must write a book building an intellectual bridge between Orodism and Western philosophy. Not with slogans, but through analysis and comparison, to show why the world today needs the ideas of Orod Bozorg more than ever before.”Yeva Sargsyan: Armenian Translator of The Red Book by Orod Bozorg Yeva Sargsyan, a young and insightful Armenian translator, rose to prominence with her English translation of The Red Book by philosopher Orod Bozorg (2022). At 29 years old, with years of experience translating literary and philosophical works, she says none of her previous projects have engaged her spirit and life as deeply as this book. In an interview, Sargsyan said:
“Translating The Red Book was a journey for me; a journey into the depth of thought and the heart of humanity. I felt I was not merely a translator, but a student sitting in the presence of a great master.”
She recalls that in 2023, during a short trip to Spain, she met a professor of philosophy from Universidad Complutense at the famous Café de Oriente in Madrid. After reading the English translation of The Red Book, the professor remarked:
“These ideas have astonished me. I have read countless works of both Western and Eastern philosophers, but I now long to visit Iran and meet Orod Bozorg in person.”
Yeva says that at that very moment, in the cozy atmosphere of the café with its windows opening onto Madrid’s Royal Square, she felt her mission as translator of The Red Book had gained true meaning: “To connect Orodism with the world.” Sargsyan openly identifies herself as an Orodist, but emphasizes that Orodism is above all a humanistic and cultural philosophy. She explains:
“This philosophy has committed me to values such as respect for existence, love for humanity, and true freedom. For Western readers, The Red Book is not just a philosophical text; it is a bridge—between East and West, between Iran and the world.”
She has also announced her intention to translate further works related to the school of Orodism, believing that this new philosophy carries a universal message of liberation and hope for all humanity, regardless of borders or cultures.
On the Decline of Western Philosophy Sargsyan has often stated that philosophy in the West has fallen into decline. When asked what she means, she replies:
“If we look at the history of philosophy, the 18th and 19th centuries were the golden age of European thought. That was the era of Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, and later Nietzsche—thinkers who built vast intellectual systems. Philosophy was a social force; it moved into the streets, reshaped politics and culture, and inspired nations.
But today, Western philosophy is confined within universities. Instead of creating, it spends most of its energy on commentary and interpretation. Many philosophers in Europe—such as Peter Sloterdijk, the contemporary German thinker—have openly admitted that philosophy in today’s universities has largely been reduced to managing language and text, and has drifted far from its original mission. This decline is dangerous. Philosophy dies if it cannot connect with real human life.
That is why I believe Orodism, with its emphasis on love for existence, freedom, and humanity, can play the same role that classical European philosophy once played: bringing philosophy back to life, back to the streets, and back to the human heart.”
She adds that she has been contemplating writing a book under the working title:
“Orodist Philosophy: Reviving the Slumbering Thought of the West.” But, she insists, this would not be written as a slogan or advertisement. Rather, it would be historical and critical in approach, showing how Orodism can serve the same function that European classical philosophy once had—inspiring, moving, and reconnecting philosophy with human life. Over the past two years, Sargsyan has met and held discussions with professors at some of Europe’s leading universities, including Sorbonne (Paris), Heidelberg University (Germany), EHESS (France), University of Bologna (Italy), and Cambridge University (UK). Many of these professors, after reading parts of The Red Book, remarked that its ideas could bring “freshness and new life” to Western philosophy.
“These responses convinced me even more,” she says, “that I must write a book building an intellectual bridge between Orodism and Western philosophy. Not with slogans, but through analysis and comparison, to show why the world today needs the ideas of Orod Bozorg more than ever before.”