The Malaise of Modernity by Taylor
The Malaise of Modernity (1991)
by Charles Taylor
135 pages - House of Anansi

This is the book-form of the Massey Lectures delivered in 1991, and was published in the U.S. under the title The Ethics of Authenticity. In this book, Taylor looks at three 'malaises' that are affecting modern society: individualism (which threatens a loss of meaning), the primacy of instrumental reason (which threatens an eclipse of ends), and the political consequences of individualism and instrumental reason (which threaten a loss of freedom). Taylor focuses mostly on the first malaise, individualism or a struggle for authenticity, and then in briefer sections applies a similar sort of exploration to the other two areas.

Taylor says that for the last several hundred years, a prime factor in western society has been the quest for authenticity, the notion of "to thine own self be true". This notion has its attackers, which characterize the present as a 'culture of narcissism' and self-indulgence, and it also has its proponents who are often temped to say that the only value is freedom of choice, and that all choices are equally valid. Taylor looks at the ethic of authenticity and finds it something noble and worthwhile, and believes that the solution lies in exploring and making clearer the ethic, because relativist attitudes, on closer inspection, are inauthentic themselves. We all define ourselves against horizons of meaning, and in communication and interchange with the outside world, and if we deny that and say 'every choice is equal', it not only 'flattens out' the outside world and robs it of value, but it eventually robs us of our own identity, since it was built up and forged by a specific history, in a specific world. At the same time, it's not only probably impossible, but also undesirable to try and somehow turn back the clock to a time before people felt such a strong inner call to authenticity, as it is something that helps us navigate through the modern world.

On the primacy of instrumental reason (aka the dominance of rationalism), Taylor also sees something useful, but something that needs to be framed within a more human vision, so things like statistics or efficient modes of production can still be used, but for human ends. And as for the political consequences, there's a necessity to build broad coalitions of consensus, to prevent society from splintering into small special-interest groups who fight all-or-nothing battles on government policy.

This was a pretty good, short introduction to the thought of Taylor, a Canadian philosopher who was in the news lately for winning the $1.5 million Templeton Prize. It does date itself amusingly towards the end, where Taylor (a Quebecer), says that the break-up of Canada is imminent with the defeat of the Meech Lake Accord. I wonder if Charles Taylor wears 'Chuck Taylor' Converse sneakers - that would be pretty cool.

Taylor's 2004 lecture on Religion and Violence is available online as an audio file.