Meaning, Identity and Freedom

This chapter argues that four key philosophical themes inform Taylor’s political thought: the problem of meaning, the idea of moral ontology, the concern with identity, and the notion of effective freedom. It shows how Taylor’s conceptions of freedom, meaning and action contribute to his distinctive political perspective and serve to differentiate it from conceptions of political liberalism that prioritise the right over the good. One of Taylor’s major concerns has been developing a philosophical anthropology of the human subject and the chapter explicates this philosophical anthropology’s relationship to Taylor’s moral ontology. Taylor’s links to the tradition of hermeneutic phenomenology are particularly highlighted, emphasising his claims that humans are ‘self-interpreting’ animals and that meaning is central to the human condition. The chapter explains how these ideas are developed in terms of distinctive features of Taylor’s writings, such as the narrative construction of the self and the idea of strong evaluations. A major concern of this discussion is the clarification of the political implications of Taylor’s contention that there is a connection between identity and an orientation to the good. A number of the criticisms of Taylor’s formulation of this relationship are explored and some initial evaluation of his holistic liberalism proposed.