Charles Taylor (Philosophy Now)

The first things you notice about Charles Taylor are his eyebrows. Indeed, they appear to bristle from Ruth Abbey's cover photograph, lending him an air of farsightedness that is entirely appropriate for his intellectual depth. Taylor is one of the rare philosophers today who occupies an intellectual's role in the public sphere and also enjoys a distinguished reputation in academia. In particular, his work on political theory finds expression in his activism in the politics of his native Canada. In academia, he is probably best known for Sources of the Self, a lengthy but widely read volume on modern identity and morality that is one of the most important recent contributions to the social sciences and humanities.

Abbey's short survey of Taylor is particularly notable because his work spans a breadth that includes science, ethics, politics, history, language, epistemology, and art. Her approach is carefully accurate, eschewing reductionism just as Taylor himself "refuses the temptation to reduce complexity to single principles." She successfully addresses herself to a thinker whose multifaceted thought often defies simple category divisions. Taylor is one of the most fascinating and articulate voices on today's philosophical scene, and Abbey has provided us with a useful field guide to his work. Her book represents a valuable companion to Taylor's philosophy, as well as a thoughtful articulation in its own right. --Eric de Place