Aristotle on the State
Philosopher Charles Taylor talks about Aristotle's focus on free political society and self-rule. It was Aristotle who originated the concept of politics as a moral activity, a means by which people can act together not because they are ordered to d...
Community and Individual Identity, The
Philosopher Charles Taylor talks about individual identity, particularly as reflected in moral positions of individuals. Professor Taylor explains that what often seems to be the position of the individual alone is actually a position that has, at l...
Cultural Identity
Philosopher Charles Taylor talks about the role that social and cultural groups play in the formation of one's identity.
What Justifies the State?: Call for Reasoned Public Debate, A
Communitarians have been accused of being conservative, of attempting to maintain a way of life that includes discrimination against women and minorities. For communitarians, such problems can be solved by reasoned public debate, as long as the subj...
What Justifies the State?: Issues That Separate Liberals and Communitarians
Emphasis on the common good places communitarians in direct conflict with liberals who claim the state must leave people free to pursue their own values. Michael Sandel, Ronald Dworkin, and Charles Taylor "debate" the issue in a fascinating exchange...
Are Interpretations True?: Hermeneutics
The branch of philosophy that deals with interpretation is called hermeneutics, a field that today is applied to many parts of life. Not too long ago its primary focus was on language and methods that assist us in getting at the meaning of texts. In...
Self in Historical Context (Part One), The
Philosopher Charles Taylor talks about the ways in which the concept of "the self" has changed over time. He begins by talking about Plato and then moves through other major philosophers, including Augustine and Descartes, pointing out that there ha...
Minority Rights, Cultural Survival and the Self
Philosopher Charles Taylor talks about the devastating impact on personal identity when reference points like language, traditions and other elements of culture are destroyed.
Self and Unconditional Value, The
Philosopher Charles Taylor discusses his notion of the self, stating that, "...if a self has an identity, then a self has to live in the horizon of some or other idea of unconditional worth."
Hegel and the Goals of Life
Philosopher Charles Taylor discusses Hegel's beliefs about life's goals. Professor Taylor explains that Hegel saw human beings as intrinsically rational, which he linked very closely to freedom. In fact, Professor Taylor says, Hegel defined reason v...