Charles Taylor

Front Cover
Routledge, Dec 23, 2014 - Philosophy - 256 pages

Charles Taylor is one of the most influential and prolific philosophers in the English-speaking world today. The breadth of his writings is unique, ranging from reflections on artificial intelligence to analyses of contemporary multicultural societies.

This thought-provoking introduction to Taylor's work outlines his ideas in a coherent and accessible way without reducing their richness and depth. His contribution to many of the enduring debates within Western philosophy is examined and the arguments of his critics assessed. Taylor's reflections on the topics of moral theory, selfhood, political theory and epistemology form the core chapters within the book.

Ruth Abbey engages with the secondary literature on Taylor's work and suggests that some criticisms by contemporaries have been based on misinterpretations and suggests ways in which a better understanding of Taylor's work leads to different criticisms of it. The book serves as an ideal companion to Taylor's ideas for students of philosophy and political theory, and will be welcomed by the non-specialist looking for an authoritative guide to Taylor's large and challenging body of work.

 

Contents

Introduction
1
1 Explaining morality
9
2 Interpreting selfhood
55
3 Theorizing politics
101
4 Understanding knowledge
151
sources of secularity
195
Notes
213
Bibliography
229
Index
247
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About the author (2014)

Ruth Abbey is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame, USA.

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