b. 1931
Charles Taylor (born 1931) is a Canadian philosopher and prominent figure in contemporary moral and political philosophy. He is best known for his sustained critique of atomistic liberalism, his account of the situated, engaged self, and his ambitious historical study of the conditions for belief in the modern West.
Developed a communitarian critique of atomistic liberalism in Sources of the Self (1989)
Argued for the inescapability of moral frameworks and 'strong evaluation' in human agency
Authored A Secular Age (2007), a landmark account of the rise of secularity in the modern West
Advanced a hermeneutical philosophy of social science against positivist reductionism
Received the Templeton Prize (2007) and Kyoto Prize (2008) for contributions to philosophy