Cover of Sources of the Self

Book · 1992 · Philosophy

Sources of the Self

The Making of the Modern Identity

by Charles Taylor · Recommended by 2 people on 2 podcasts

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2
people
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podcasts
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recommendation
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Yeah so i mean charles taylor the canadian philosopher really influenced me a lot his book the sources of the self is i think one of the most important books i read in life.
Yuval Noah Harari · The Tim Ferriss Show · Oct 2020 Listen at 51:28

The best things said about it

1 of 2 · every mention
Discussed
There's a philosopher in in Canada, Taylor, who wrote wrote about this in in a book called Sources of the Self, medieval people took the idea of hell extremely seriously and tortured themselves with it.
Jordan Peterson The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast · May 2021

Why people recommend it

Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity is a monumental philosophical study by Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor that traces how modern notions of personal identity, inwardness, and morality have evolved from ancient and medieval roots into contemporary secular frameworks. On The Tim Ferriss Show, Yuval Noah Harari strongly recommended the book during episode #477, citing it as one of the most important intellectual influences of his entire life, though he cautioned listeners that it is a dense and demanding read. Later, on The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast, host Jordan Peterson referenced Taylor's work while talking with guest Randall Wallace in episode #166. Peterson cited Sources of the Self to illustrate historical shifts in human psychology and existential dread, noting how medieval populations took the concept of hell with utter seriousness and frequently subjected themselves to immense psychological torment as a result of those deeply internalized religious frameworks. Across both podcasts, speakers invoked Taylor's scholarship to illuminate the profound historical transformations that shaped how human beings conceptualize the self, morality, and spiritual meaning over the centuries. The book endures as a vital text for anyone seeking to understand the historical genealogy of modern psychological interiority and the complex philosophical transitions of Western civilization.

Every mention

2 counted mentions
Yuval Noah Harari yeah so i mean charles taylor the canadian philosopher really influenced me a lot his book the sources of t… 1
Recommended
“yeah so i mean charles taylor the canadian philosopher really influenced me a lot his book the sources of the self is i think one of the most important books i read in life”
Jordan Peterson There's a philosopher in in Canada, Taylor, who wrote wrote about this in in a book called Sources of the S… 1
Discussed
“There's a philosopher in in Canada, Taylor, who wrote wrote about this in in a book called Sources of the Self, medieval people took the idea of hell extremely seriously and tortured themselves with it.”

Also mentioned in the same episodes

Portraits from Wikimedia Commons: Yuval Noah Harari, Martin Kraft / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0); Jordan Peterson, Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).