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Trust
Self-interest and the common good
Marek Kohn
160 pages
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196x129mm
978-0-19-921791-5
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Hardback
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26 June 2008
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- Trust, or the lack of it, is becoming an increasingly prominent issue in public life: with relationships and technology moving faster, and with frequent political scandals and health scares
- This short, yet broad-ranging and thought-provoking book examines what makes trust possible, what helps it grow, and why we are especially concerned about it in a fast-moving, fast-changing, globalized society
- Looks at the evolutionary origins of trust, and the puzzle of how language could have evolved when 'words are cheap', and we have such a capacity to deceive each other
- 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
- Argues that trust is a crucial part of an increasingly essential and interesting conversation about happiness, community, equality and respect
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.Readership: This book wil be of interest to general readers coming from a wide variety of fields - including biology, sociology, psychology, philosophy, economics, and politics.
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Marek Kohn, Visiting Research Fellow, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex; Honorary Faculty Fellow, School of Arts and Architecture, University of Brighton
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"Brilliant essay" - Guardian.
"Brief but hugely suggestive." - Time Out.
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Preface
1: Just Going Round To The Shop
2: Trust From The Barrel Of A Gun
3: Reason To Believe
4: In God We Trust
5: Through Thick And Thin
6: The Goodwill Of The People
7: Leaving The Door Unlocked
Notes
Bibliography
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The specification in this catalogue, including without limitation price, format, extent, number of illustrations, and month of publication, was as accurate as possible at the time the catalogue was compiled. Occasionally, due to the nature of some contractual restrictions, we are unable to ship a specific product to a particular territory. Jacket images are provisional and liable to change before publication.
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