Synopses & Reviews
Trust--whether between parents and children, merchants and shoppers, or citizens and their government--lies at the very heart of our relationships, our society, and our everyday lives.
This vividly written compact book reveals how modern thinkers--scientists, social scientists, and philosophers--have shed much light on the nature of trust. Beginning with some fascinating evolutionary puzzles about the origins of trust--for instance, how cooperation can evolve among individuals pursuing their own selfish interests--Marek Kohn incorporates many different perspectives from the fields of science, sociology, economics, and politics, to draw out the wider implications for trust in human society today. The book discusses trust in gods and how people have sought to reinvest this trust as religious faith has diminished; the effect of low social trust on economic development; and the loss of trust between mutually antagonistic communities, each warming itself by the flames of its hostility to the other. He shows how Communism relied on distrust, and devoted much of its energy to seeding it among its subjects, and Liberal democracy is also based on distrust, but in the opposite direction: it is founded upon the suspicion that the powerful will be tempted to abuse their power, and so must be subject to checks and balances. Perhaps most important, he shows that if we understand what makes trust possible, and why it matters, then we will live better lives in a fast-moving, fast-changing, global society.
Following in the footsteps of Oxford's highly popular books Happiness and Emotion, this compact book illuminates a precious and elusive quality that serves as the bedrock of a fulfilling life and the good society.
Review
"In this wide-ranging book, he addresses religious, scientific, and political claims of authority, contrasting communist countries, which distrust the people, with liberal democracies, based on mistrust of the government. This excellent book is highly recommended for philosophy and social science collections." -- Library Journal
Review
"In this wide-ranging book, he addresses religious, scientific, and political claims of authority, contrasting communist countries, which distrust the people, with liberal democracies, based on mistrust of the government. This excellent book is highly recommended for philosophy and social science collections." -- Library Journal
Synopsis
Trust - our belief in the truth or reliability of someone or something - lies at the very heart of our relationships, our society and our everyday lives. Much of the time we take it for granted. And yet trust, or the lack of it, is becoming an increasingly prominent issue in public life:
politicians say they want to rebuild trust in politics; people look for new ways to trust each other in a world where relationships are easier to start and harder than ever to sustain; and we are no longer sure how much we trust experts on issues like the safety of food or medicine.
This short but thought-provoking book reveals why scientists, social scientists, and philosophers no longer take trust for granted. Beginning with some fascinating biological puzzles about the origins of trust -- how cooperation can evolve from 'selfish genes', and how language could have evolved
when 'words are cheap' and we have such a capacity to deceive each other - Marek Kohn explores many different perspectives from the fields of science, sociology, economics, and politics, to draw out the wider implications for trust in human society today.
The book ends on a personal note, concluding that our material prosperity is not matched by the quality of our lives and relationships, but that, if we understand what makes trust possible, and why it matters, then we will live better lives in a fast-moving, fast-changing, globalized society.
About the Author
Marek Kohn is Visiting Research Fellow, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex and Honorary Faculty Fellow, School of Arts and Architecture, University of Brighton.