[5][7] Early in his career, Taylor also published works utilizing the nom de plume Diodorus Cronus in honor of the obscure ancient Greek philosopher of the same name.
"[11][12][13] Defying conventional academic expectations, Taylor readily embraced the works of such ancient philosophers such as Thales, Epicurus, Plato and Aristotle while also admiring the more pessimistic contributions of Arthur Schopenhauer.
[5] It has been observed that in Taylor's view, the German idealists who followed Immanuel Kant were needlessly preoccupied with the formulation of an intricate system of intellectual moral philosophy which is based upon objective rules and a conceptualization of what it means to be dutiful.
In addition, he argued in favor of transcending a mundane existence through the pursuit of creative individual excellence and the realization of a virtuous life as envisioned by the philosophers of ancient Greece.
[14] Paradoxically, Taylor was also quick to describe himself as a humanist who simultaneously embraced a belief in God as derived from his consciousness of the profound mysteries of life in the natural world.
In this sense, he has also been described as an idiosyncratic Theist who does not necessarily support a particular organized religious practice per se, but who espouses a belief in a divine presence within the natural order.
His students at the University of Rochester often delighted in his custom of disavowing all pretense by conducting his lectures casually clad in khakis, a rugged pair of work boots and a flannel shirt while accompanied by Polly (his trusty Dalmatian), a warm thermos of hot tea and a kind hearted twinkle in his eye.
[21] Notable philosophers who studied under Taylor as graduate students include Norman Bowie, Myles Brand, Keith Lehrer, and Peter van Inwagen.
[23] In keeping with his philosophical convictions, his honey stand was located in front of his country home on Cayuga Lake and was operated strictly on the honor system, which Taylor encouraged through the use of gentle and kind solicitations posted on its walls.