Self in Historical Context (Part Two), The
Continuing his discussion of the self in historical context, philosopher Charles Taylor talks about the progression of ideas about the self from Descartes through John Locke. It was from Locke that what Professor Taylor calls the "punctual self" tha...
Significant Others
Philosopher Charles Taylor talks about George Herbert Mead and the distinction he made between the "I" and the "me." The fundamental idea here is that we don't discover who we are simply from the inside. Rather, we discover who we are by how we're r...
Reductive Theories of the Self
Philosopher Charles Taylor discusses his ideas about what he calls "reductive theories of human beings." Professor Taylor explains that, by reductive, he means simplifying explanations and ideas that normally require "rich language" and substituting...
Recognition in the Formation of Self
Philosopher Charles Taylor talks about ways in which one's identity is worked out with other people. He discusses the paramount importance of recognition, by which he means acceptance for what you are by people that really matter. An example in chil...
Self in Historical Context (Part Three), The
Philosopher Charles Taylor continues his discussion of the self, tracing the evolution of the concept over time. Professor Taylor talks about the modern perspective of the self, which he describes as being two kinds of internal, self-examination tha...
What is Philosophy?: Relationship of Philosophy to Other Fields of Thought
What is philosophy? How is it related to other fields of thought? How is it different? In response to these questions, nine preeminent scholars create an insightful view of philosophy and the role it plays in contemporary society.
Is Mind Distinct from Body?: Reductionists' Accounts of Mental Activity
Materialists argue that "the mystery of the mind" is an illusion that science will clear up once we understand all of the neurophysiological aspects of how the brain functions. Even in science, this reductionist view point is rare. Such knowledge ma...
Is Mind Distinct from Body?: Renes Descartes, a Solitary Thinker
Philosopher Rene Descartes believed that he functioned best as a solitary thinker. As he wrote in his Meditations it was only when he has no involvements or concerns that he could think philosophy and get it right. In one famous meditation Descartes...
Knowledge
Philosopher Charles Taylor talks about different understandings of knowledge, beginning with Descartes, who believed that knowledge is inner representation of outer reality.
Modern Dualism
Philosopher Charles Taylor talks about the tendency to see the mental and the physical as two completely separate and distinct categories. He notes that much of modern philosophy is concerned with blurring the rigid line between the two, in recognit...