Taylor, Charles
(born on November 05, 1931 in Montréal, Canada)
Charles Taylor is an important figure of a modern thought, communitarianism,
which aims to surpass liberalism to better fit twenty-first century challenges. In
Oxford, Taylor first studied an analytical philosophy, then language philosophy
(Austin, Wittgenstein). Later on, he exposed himself to an European philosophy,
notably with Merleau-Ponty and Heidegger. In 1964, he proposed a philosophy of
action in The Explanation of Behavior, where his two biggest influences meet:
analytical and continental philosophy. Then, with Hegel’s philosophy, he turned
to ethics, with themes of recognition, multiculturalism, identity, community and
modernity. Following the 2007 crisis on reasonable accommodations in Quebec,
he was named by the then-Government to preside with sociologist Gérald
Bouchard in the Consultation Commission on Accommodation Practices Related
to Cultural Differences, more commonly known as the Bouchard-Taylor
Commission. His extended thinking on the aforementioned themes let him write
a report that draws a precise portrait of the situation of cultural accommodations
in Quebec, along with recommendations.