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Philosophy Ethics & Moral Philosophy

The Malaise of Modernity

by (author) Charles Taylor

Publisher
House of Anansi Press Inc
Initial publish date
Nov 1991
Category
Ethics & Moral Philosophy, Free Will & Determinism, Civilization
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780887845208
    Publish Date
    Nov 1991
    List Price
    $19.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9780887848865
    Publish Date
    Nov 1991
    List Price
    $10.99

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Description

In Malaise of Modernity, Charles Taylor focuses on the key modern concept of self-fulfillment, often attacked as the central support of what Christopher Lasch has called the culture of narcissism. To Taylor, self-fulfillment, although often expressed in self-centered ways, isn't necessarily a rejection of traditional values and social commitment; it also reflects something authentic and valuable in modern culture. Only by distinguishing what is good in this modern striving from what is socially and politically dangerous, Taylor says, can our age be made to deliver its promise.

About the author

Charles Taylor, professor emeritus at McGill University, is an internationally celebrated public philosopher who strives to bridge the gap between philosophical theories and political action. He is the author of many books, including Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity (1989), in which he attempts to articulate and to write a history of the “modern identity.” He continued this theme in his 1991 Massey Lecture, “The Malaise of Modernity.” In 2003, he was the first recipient of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Gold Medal for Achievement in Research, in 2007 he won the Templeton Prize, and in June 2008 he was awarded the Kyoto Prize in arts and philosophy. Charles Taylor is a Companion of the Order of Canada.

Charles Taylor's profile page