Charles Taylor was born in Montreal, Canada in 1931. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from McGill Universty in 1952. He then studied as a Rhodes Scholar at Balliol College, Oxford, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree with first-class honours in philosophy, politics and economics in 1955, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1961.
Taylor became the Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of All Souls College. During this time he taught political science and philosophy at McGill, where he is now professor emeritus.
Taylor is now considered one of the most influential and prolific philosophers in the English-speaking world, best known for his contributions to political philosophy, the philosophy of social science, the history of philosophy, and intellectual history. He is a Companion of the Order of Canada and a Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec. His work has earned him the Kyoto Prize, the Templeton Prize, the Berggruen Prize and the John W. Kluge Prize.
Taylor delivered the Beatty Lecture on October 12, 2017, titled "The Challenge of Regressive Democracy".
Image: Owen Egan
