You could say, 'what is at stake theoretically in this thesis is...'

Your suggestion of 'challenge' would work, too; it is elegant.

'the problematic addressed in this thesis'

'what is at play theoretically in this thesis is...'

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Note added at 3 hrs (2009-06-27 09:48:50 GMT)
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The key issue of this thesis is to



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Note added at 3 hrs (2009-06-27 09:50:16 GMT)
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Since the author is talking about a discursive field, the terrain on which his argument will play out, I would not chose something that is too narrow.

:-)

In general terms, I would translate "enjeu" in an academic context by issue, which is something to investigate or explore (as in: the central issue to be explored is...) rather than challenge, which is something to meet or achieve (the challenge of a thesis is to finish it!). Here however the theoretical "enjeu" is in fact an aim - the thesis aims to show or prove something. "Crux" is a good word here I think, suggesting the essential point of the argument.

Hope this is helpful.

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Note added at 4 hrs (2009-06-27 10:22:43 GMT)
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In general, in translating academic work, I try to replace stock argumentative phrases - such as l'enjeu, c'est donc - by a stock equivalent (such as the essential point to be explored is thus..) which is really just an argument marker, "l'enjeu" being to produce an appropriate scholarly discourse with minimal verbal clutter to let the ideas shine through. I am really not a fan of terms stemming from French translations of theoretical texts (play, stakes) despite their accepted jargon value, since their lingering exoticism tends to obscure the point being made. Your sentence is a case in point: the "challenge" would be to produce a beautifully limpid expression of a quite complex construction. Not sure why I am telling you this, except that having directed a fair amount of research work, I know how important it is to keep things clear and simple - it is a matter close to my heart!

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Note added at 6 hrs (2009-06-27 12:47:49 GMT)
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crux: a puzzling or difficult problem; an essential point requiring resolution; a main or central feature of an argument.

French term (edited): L\'enjeu théorique de cette thèse

Philosophical inquiry is a theoretical endeavor; therefore, Ethics is also a theoretical endeavor. Ethics or moral philosophy is concerned with ...
books.google.com/books?isbn=0763751103...

I read your sentence as describing an objective ("de démontrer que") rather than an issue or similar.
HTH

I understand 'enjeu' here as the issue on which the thesis stands or falls (hence the term "stake"), ie its "thesis". I think "claim" captures this most succinctly.

French term (edited): L\'enjeu théorique de cette thèse

"Concern" seems to be used to convey the same idea as "enjeu" used here. I definitely wouldn't say "challenge". As Helen says, it's really just the "scope" of the thesis, the general area covered.

"Considerations" might work too.

this thesis' fundamental theoretical challenge... is to show

other possibilities:
this thesis' core/central/cardinal theoretical challenge...

Although there isn't such an adjective as "fundamental" in the original, I think it helps to translate "enjeu" into "challenge" .

Another option:
This thesis' cardinal goal, from a theoretical perspective, is to show...

(I just added "is to show" here as an example of how it would tie in with the second main verb, not that other clauses should be excluded)

Hello,

I think "question" is really the best translation here for "enjeu"

This is a tricky word to translate into English. It's more like an all-purpose word in French which requires a more specific word in English, depending on the context.

I hope this helps.

Just another suggestion. Hope this helps.