Analysis Of The Ethics Of Authenticity By Charles Taylor

So far in Charles Taylor’s “The Ethics of Authenticity,” Taylor has been an advocate for individualism. Taylor consistently remarks that individualism is part of modern society/culture. While he understands that critics of modern society lay blame on individualism as the contributing factor to the decay of culture/society, he believes that there are aspects that should be commended. In the chapters 3-6, Taylor discusses how individualism is more just the center of the 3 malaises, rather its social, collective and moral. In these chapters, Taylor addresses his critics by arguing that individualism does not solely lead to moral subjectivism and soft relativism. Taylor also states that critics must acknowledge that individualism is morality if they seek to argue against it.
In chapter 3, Taylor develops his argument that individualism is not always …show more content…
He states that an individual identity and language are a result of his or her relationship with others. That dialogue with others is what leads to the development of issues of importance and values. On pages 46-47, Taylor discusses a transition in modern society away from honor and towards the notion of dignity; “The underlying premise here is that everyone shares in this” (Taylor 46). The notion of dignity, also means that equal recognition must be given to all. The importance of recognition has only increased as the years past because it strengthens the notion of identity and authenticity. All people are part of a common humanity, where everyone is autonomous but still equal relative to one another. Rather than an individual’s identity coming from his social ranking, an individual’s identity must be inwardly generated. According to Taylor, this internal identity is then negotiated through dialogue with others. Ethics then come into play when individuals have their equality, freedom, autonomy taken from