Sources of the Self：The Making of the Modern Identity

Inthisextensiveinquiryintothesourcesofmodernselfhood，CharlesTaylordemonstratesjusthowrichandpreciousthoseresourcesare.Themodernturntosubjectivity，withitsattendantrejectionofanobjectiveorderofreason，hasled--itseemstomany--to"mere"subjectivismatthemildestandtosheernihilismattheworst.Manycriticsbelievethatthemodernorderhasnomoralbackboneandhasprovedcorrosivetoallthatmightfosterhumangood.Taylorrejectsthisview.Hearguesthat，properlyunderstood，ourmodernnotionoftheselfprovidesaframeworkthatmorethancompensatesfortheabandonmentofsubstantivenotionsofrationality.Themajorinsightof"SourcesoftheSelf"isthatmodernsubjectivity，inallitsepistemological，aesthetic，andpoliticalramifications，hasitsrootsinideasofhumangood.Afterfirstarguingthatcontemporaryphilosophershaveignoredhowselfandgoodconnect，theauthordefinesthemodernidentitybydescribingitsgenesis.Hisefforttouncoverandmapourmoralsourcesleadstonovelinterpretationsofmostofthefiguresandmovementsinthemoderntradition.Taylorshowsthatthemodernturninwardisnotdisastrousbutisinfacttheresultofourlongeffortstodefineandreachthegood.Attheheartofthisdefinitionhefindswhathecallstheaffirmationofordinarylife，avaluewhichhasdecisivelyifnotcompletelyreplacedanolderconceptionofreasonasconnectedtoahierarchybasedonbirthandwealth.IntellingthestoryofarevolutionwhoseproponentshavebeenAugustine，Montaigne，Luther，andahostofothers，Taylor'sgoalisinparttomakesurewedonotlosesightoftheirgoalandendangerallthathasbeenachieved."SourcesoftheSelf"providesadecisivedefenseofthemodernorderandasharprebufftoitscritics.