Identity & Good in Charles Taylor's view
Subject Areas : Philosophy of art
1 - Tehran Science and Research Unit, Islamic Azad University
Keywords: Charles Taylor, Identity, Naturalism, Authenticity, Individualism,
Abstract :
Charles Taylor has a distinctive status among contemporary philosophers. Taylor’s important concerns are “identity” and the “lack of meaning”. He thinks that modern moral philosophy is lacking in strong evaluation of “identity”. What is dominant in the modern age is a naturalistic view, which, as Taylor puts it, destroys the meaning of life; individualism and instrumentalism are consequences of this view. In his historical account, Taylor shows that individualism leads us to authenticity and relativism. Taylor thinks that “identity” is to know who I am and where I stand. Our identity is defined by commitments and identifications. Moreover, identity is formed by our dialogical and social character. Also the Good is shaped in association and dialogue. One of Taylor’s concerns is restoration the meaning to our life. He speaks of frame or horizon within which human beings receive meaning for living. According to Taylor, it is possible to make a relation between “identity” and “good”. One major criticism against Taylor’s thought is that there is an inconsistency between “identity” and “good” in it. In other words, we cannot believe in an identity as formed by dialogue and, at the same time, speak of similar moral intuitions.
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