Charles Taylor

Charles Taylor is a Canadian philosopher renowned for his work on the modern self, political theory, and moral philosophy. Raised in a bilingual, bicultural family, Taylor completed his undergraduate studies at McGill University before earning degrees in politics, philosophy, and economics at Oxford, where he also completed his PhD.

His influential work, Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity (1989), explores the evolution of the modern conception of selfhood, examining the complex relationship between freedom, authenticity, and societal expectations. Taylor has played a key role in bridging analytic and Continental philosophy, particularly in his focus on the social nature of selfhood and the importance of meaning in human action.

Taylor's A Secular Age (2007) explores the rise of secularism in Western societies and its impact on modern identity, arguing that despite secularization, humans continue to seek transcendence and meaning.

In addition to his academic career, Taylor has been actively involved in public life in Canada, including serving on the Quebec French Language Council and co-chairing a public inquiry into cultural and religious differences in Quebec. He has received numerous honors, including the Templeton Prize (2007) and the Kyoto Prize (2008).