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The Ethics of Authenticity

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( 1,414 ratings, 141 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In The Ethics of Authenticity, Charles Taylor delves into the concept of modern individualism and the quest for authenticity. He explores how the search for self-realisation often conflicts with societal expectations. By addressing the ethical dimension of personal authenticity, Taylor seeks a balance between individual freedom and communal responsibilities.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're intrigued by the concept of living authentically within a modern society. It explores the tension between individual authenticity and the demands of a pluralistic world, offering philosophical insights that challenge readers to reconsider their values and ideals. Whether you are interested in moral philosophy or simply wish to delve deeper into the challenges of contemporary identity, you'll find this thought-provoking.

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Everywhere we hear of decline, of a world that was better before the influence of modernity. While some lament Western culture’s slide into relativism and nihilism and others celebrate the trend as a liberating sort of progress, Taylor calls on us to face the moral and political crises of our time, and to make the most of modernity’s challenges.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Everywhere we hear talk of decline, of a world that was better once, maybe fifty years ago, maybe centuries ago, but certainly before modernity drew us along its dubious path.

While some lament the slide of Western culture into relativism and nihilism and others celebrate the trend as a liberating sort of progress, Charles Taylor calls on us to face the moral and political crises of our time, and to make the most of modernity's challenges.

The great merit of Taylor's brief, non-technical, powerful book is the vigour with which he restates the point which Hegel (and later Dewey) urged against Rousseau and Kant: that we are only individuals in so far as we are social. Being authentic, being faithful to ourselves, is being faithful to something which was produced in collaboration with a lot of other people. The core of Taylor's argument is a vigorous and entirely successful criticism of two intertwined bad ideas: that you are wonderful just because you are you, and that 'respect for difference' requires you to respect every human being, and every human cultureβ€”no matter how vicious or stupid.

- Richard Rorty, London Review of Books

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Charles Taylor's The Ethics of Authenticity is praised for its engaging discussion on modernity, individualism, and identity. The book effectively critiques the idea that individuality is solely a personal achievement, arguing instead that it emerges through social collaboration. While challenging simplistic notions of self-worth and cultural respect, Taylor's accessible work highlights the significance of public dialogue and reflection on identity and modern values.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780674987692

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 August 2018

Country: United States

Imprint: Harvard University Press

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 12.0mm

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 159g

Pages: 160

About the Author

Charles Taylor is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Philosophy at McGill University. Author of The Language Animal, Sources of the Self, The Ethics of Authenticity, and A Secular Age, he has received many honors, including the Templeton Prize, the Berggruen Prize, and membership in the Order of Canada.

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