Charles Taylor's conception and criticism of modernity

The purpose of this thesis is to introduce the prominent political philosopher Charles Taylor, and to evaluate his conception of and his criticisms against modernity. This thesis consists of an introduction, two major sections, and a conclusion. The introduction presents the definition and main parameters of modernity and the framework. First section includes Charles Taylor?s life and books; second section includes Taylor?s conception of modernity and his criticisms against it. Taylor considers the argument that people can reach to modernity by only ?freeing themselves from the illusions and delusions of metaphysics? with the use of science and rationality a reductionist approach. Taylor states that these arguments do not sufficiently discuss the importance of cultural changes. According to him, modernity brought new moral values. Taylor believes that the formation of modernity and contemporary secularism should only be discussed by considering their historical development and he embarks on the analysis of the epistemological, political and cultural background of them. Taylor states that one of the major causes of the formation of modernity is ?disenchantment,? which refers to rationalization of all aspects of life. In epistemology, the disenchantment manifests itself in Descartes? concept of ?disengaged reason? which takes the subject as its starting point. Taylor also believes that modernity produced new anthropocentric, internal sources in the field of morality. For Taylor, the morality that the Enlightenment brought forth was based on the concept of ?utility.? In his writings, Taylor also discusses in detail ?malaises of modernity,? which he defines as individualism, the ascendancy of the instrumental reason, the narrowing of the domain of freedom, and the loss of meaning. In the conclusion of the thesis, a general evaluation of Taylor?s conception of modernity is offered.