Trust, and how we relate to our fellow man, forms part of the
“glue” that holds our society together. Without trust, governments
could not rule, people cannot work co-operatively together and
partners cannot marry.
In this section we examine some of the philosophers mentioned
in On
Trust and Philosophy in detail. Throughout history,
philosophers have examined the human condition, and invariably
the issue of trust arises in their works. We start with one
of the fathers of philosophy, Plato, in Trust
in Plato’s Republic.
Thomas Hobbes, the English political philosopher thought
that if we lived without a state, our lives would be ‘solitary,
poore, nasty, brutish, and short’. In Trust
and the State of Nature we examine Hobbes, and find
out what was meant by the state of nature.
Scottish Philosopher David Hume took a more kindly view
of human relationships than Hobbes. Do we have a natural ‘sympathy’
towards others? Hume
on Trust outlines his views.
Immanuel Kant’s influential thinking has inspired many contemporary
philosophers, including Onora
O’Neill. Kantian
Trust explores his work on morals, informed consent
and human dignity.
Central to many of these ideas on trust is a concept called
‘the social contract’. The
Social Contract explains what it is and examines the
relationship between government and the people.
Why are we facing a crisis of trust? Is the use of modern
technology in monitoring our daily lives causing a rift in
the social contract? Technology
and Trust raises provocative questions about the modern
condition.
|
