Charles Taylor and the hermeneutical investigation of the culture of authenticity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26823/rnufen.v17i1.25793Keywords:
Hermeneutics, Ethics of Authenticity, Charles TaylorAbstract
In The Ethics of Authenticity, Charles Taylor explores the problematic modern ideal of authenticity, characterized by a contradictory pursuit of individual distinction. Drawing on the conceptual framework of Martin Heidegger’s and Hans-Georg Gadamer’s phenomenological hermeneutics, Taylor examines and seeks to overcome the intrinsic difficulties of this ideal. His analysis aims to expose not only the deficiencies but also potential solutions that allow for reconciling this ideal with a coherent and fulfilling existence. This essay intends to shed light on the philosophical assumptions Charles Taylor inherits from the phenomenological-hermeneutic tradition by focusing on a specific case: his critique of the modern ideal of authenticity. In doing so, it provides an interpretative key applicable to other essays and works by the author, enriching their understanding from the viewpoint of this philosophical tradition. Furthermore, it clarifies Taylor’s argument in the case under discussion for readers unfamiliar with that tradition.
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