SOCI-333 Lecture 1: Self and Society
10 Sep 2019
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Self and society: charles taylor: 1989, "sources of the self", human beings are self interpreting animals and beings. Humans have themselves and their selves exist in relationships to other people. Through these relationships, they become an individual self through symbols and language use: humans live in a world filled with meanings as they can interpret them, the world, and actions of others. Humans don"t just engage in reading and making interpretations. All human life is interpretive and have meaning-making experiences. Interpretations are linked to actions: humans possess agency. We are actors who think and act freely. This agency can be challenged but our actions aren"t caused. We make meanings and interpret the world in ways only few creatures can. Through language, humans can build a world to live in: animals have some forms of agency. They can build dams but not the same level of agency as humans.
