#238: Life in a Secular Age

Charles Taylor's Sources of the Self is a comprehensive exploration of the development of the self in Western thought. The book traces the evolution of self-understanding from ancient Greece to the modern era, examining how different philosophical and religious traditions have shaped our conceptions of identity. Taylor argues that the modern self is characterized by a unique sense of autonomy and individuality, but also by a profound sense of alienation and fragmentation. He explores the implications of these developments for our understanding of ethics, politics, and religion. The book is highly influential in the fields of philosophy, sociology, and religious studies. It's a challenging but rewarding read for anyone interested in the history of ideas and the nature of the self.

In 'A Secular Age', Charles Taylor explores the transformation of Western society from a pre-modern world where belief in God was inescapable to a modern secular age where believing in God is just one option among many. Taylor argues against the 'subtraction story' of secularization, which posits that religion has been removed from society. Instead, he describes a complex historical process involving the Reform movement in Christianity, the rise of disciplinary society, and the emergence of exclusive humanism. The book examines how these changes have affected the conditions of belief and unbelief, and how they have shaped modern social forms, moral orders, and spiritual experiences.