10 Philosophy Books or Your Perusal (Part 7): The Ethics of Authenticity

The Ethics of Authenticity

Charles Taylor

Another philosopher that is alive. 

Charles Taylor is the Canadian on the list. Hence he is able to observe the culture of the United States from an outsider's position, while still having a Western perspective. From this vantage point, he can distance himself from the typical American debates about ethics and morality, including the typical rhetoric, loaded vocabulary, and narrow (and sometimes narrow-minded) categories. 

Taylor is apprehensive about three things in our American discussions and attitudes toward morality.

First, the American philosophy (mostly derived from Ayn Rand and her ilk) of radical individualism rejects most moral absolutes and corrodes meaningfulness in life. This radical individualism results in a selfish narcissistic focus that disparages true connectedness to others. Or as Buber might say, “Yo, man! There ain’t no room for the I-Thou.” 

Second, this individualism when practiced on a large scale - as in America - leads to the acceptance of utilitarian philosophy that the highest good is the maximizing of economic ends. Through this instrumental reasoning, people are nothing more than a means to an end. (Sound familiar? Kierkegaard wrote about that too at the dawn of the industrial age.) In a culture where people are nothing more than a means to an end, individuals serve no other purpose. Their feelings, families, hopes, dreams, and desires do not count and are not part of the equation for MY highest good.

Third, Taylor notes that organizations – particularly for-profit corporations – have embraced utilitarianism as their prime philosophy. Through communicative and rhetorical practices they are creating a highly functional and well-financed power-base that stands in the way of reform and the advancement of society as a whole.

Taylor rejects this philosophy. Rather Taylor underscores individual self-fulfillment and self-actualization. Rather than coming to a nihilistic or narcissistic ‘meaning of life” the passionate need to understand “who I am” steers me to find meaning outside of the self. Finding my uniqueness is a communicative and dialogical process that happens in relation with others. Identities are not created in isolation. Identity is shifting, negotiated, dynamic, relational, ongoing.  Other individuals are collaborators and partners in the creation and maintenance of my identity and we must recognize that without community our individuality would not exist. 

It is in community – and the responsibilities that come with community – that we find ourselves and overcome the meaninglessness of narcissistic individualism.