Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity'Most of us are still groping for answers about what makes life worth living, or what confers meaning on individual lives', writes Charles Taylor in Sources of the Self. 'This is an essentially modern predicament.' Charles Taylor's latest book sets out to define the modern identity by tracing its genesis, analysing the writings of such thinkers as Augustine, Descartes, Montaigne, Luther, and many others. This then serves as a starting point for a renewed understanding of modernity. Taylor argues that modern subjectivity has its roots in ideas of human good, and is in fact the result of our long efforts to define and attain the good. The modern turn inwards is far from being a disastrous rejection of rationality, as its critics contend, but has at its heart what Taylor calls the affirmation of ordinary life. He concludes that the modern identity, and its attendant rejection of an objective order of reason, is far richer in moral sources that its detractors allow. Sources of the Self provides a decisive defence of the modern order and a sharp rebuff to its critics. |
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User Review - stillatim - LibraryThingDon't tell my dissertation advisers that I hadn't read this before I finished- they might revoke my degree. On the other hand, they might say "well, you don't really need to read this unless you're a ... Read full review
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User Review - wonderperson - LibraryThingYesterday, early in the morning, I finished this book. This was a six month stint and it took a mighty effort just to finish it off, meaning that I lost much needed sleep in order to bring the reading ... Read full review
Contents
Inescapable Frameworks | 3 |
The Self in Moral Space | 25 |
Ethics of Inarticulacy | 53 |
Moral Sources | 91 |
Moral Topography | 111 |
In Interiore Homine | 127 |
Descartess Disengaged Reason | 143 |
Lockes Punctual Self | 159 |
Rationalized Christianity | 234 |
Moral Sentiments | 248 |
The Culture of Modernity | 285 |
Fractured Horizons | 305 |
Nature as Source | 355 |
The Expressivist Turn | 368 |
Our Victorian Contemporaries | 405 |
Visions of the PostRomantic | 419 |
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action affirmation articulation become belief benevolence bring called central century Christian comes conception concerned connection continuity course crucial culture defined demands described desire direction discussion disengaged distinctions doctrine dominant earlier Enlightenment ethic existence experience expression fact feel force formulation freedom give God's higher human idea ideal identity important instance involves issue kind language later lives Locke meaning mind modern moral moral sources motivation move nature notion object offer ordinary original ourselves outlook particular perhaps person philosophy picture political possible practices principle question quoted radical rational reality reason recognize reflected relation religion respect Romantic seems seen sense significance society soul sources speak spiritual stance stand theory things thought tradition true turn understanding University University Press vision whole
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Bibliographic information
| Title | Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity |
| Author | Charles Taylor |
| Edition | illustrated, reprint |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press, 1992 |
| ISBN | 0521429498, 9780521429498 |
| Length | 601 pages |
| Subjects | › Philosophy / Political |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |