Charles Taylor

Book excerpt: An examination and critique of the theoretical and political efforts of Taylor to promote "deep diversity" as an antidote to the process of political fragmentation in general and, specifically, in his home of Quebec. Redhead (political theory, Oregon State U.) argues that Taylor's opposition to Quebecois separatists is equally rooted in a political theory of communitarian liberalism, his political activities within the New Democratic Party of Canada and Quebec, his understanding of his Catholic faith, and his experiences growing up in an Anglo-French household. Redhead argues that Taylor's philosophy ultimately fails to address questions of nationalist projects that "simplify identity" or questions of openness to different moral ontologies.