Metaphysics of Trust: On Freedom and Calculation in Social Cooperation

Product Description This book provides the foundations of trust amidst radical uncertainty. Specifically, it addresses the question of under what condition it is possible to trust relative strangers. As the first logical investigation of its kind, the book breaks with many preconceived ideas we have about trust and the scientific method that leads to its clarification. It builds on the insight that, contrary to widespread belief, it is not risk but freedom that is most fundamental for explaining trust. In fact, trust is the giving of freedom, out of freedom, and one’s consciousness of the potential risks involved merely disturbs one’s ability to trust. The book makes the twofold normative claim that any legitimate scientific preoccupation with trust must necessarily include the concept of freedom in its account, and that theories of trust that run against the logical prerequisites of freedom are a-priori falsified. It presents a theoretical proposal that makes sure that trust, instead of being constructed as a passive and functional “illusion” of natural love, is understood as the necessary product of an active reason that is oriented towards developing human autonomy. From the Back Cover This book provides the foundations of trust amidst radical uncertainty. Specifically, it addresses the question of under what condition it is possible to trust relative strangers. As the first logical investigation of its kind, the book breaks with many preconceived ideas we have about trust and the scientific method that leads to its clarification. It builds on the insight that, contrary to widespread belief, it is not risk but freedom that is most fundamental for explaining trust. In fact, trust is the giving of freedom, out of freedom, and one’s consciousness of the potential risks involved merely disturbs one’s ability to trust. The book makes the twofold normative claim that any legitimate scientific preoccupation with trust must necessarily include the concept of freedom in its account, and that theories of trust that run against the logical prerequisites of freedom are a-priori falsified. It presents a theoretical proposal that makes sure that trust, instead of being constructed as a passive and functional “illusion” of natural love, is understood as the necessary product of an active reason that is oriented towards developing human autonomy. About the Author Michaël Suurendonk is a philosopher who is mainly interested in the normative role of basic assumptions in social science. He is particularly concerned about the foundations of business ethics, which, as a relatively young and aspiring interdisciplinary domain, strives to improve the conceptual integration of ethics and the economic sciences. Besides elaborating his Moral Promise Theory of Trust – which aims to explain the possibility of trust amidst radical uncertainty – he currently explores whether and in what manner blockchain technology might alter the problem of trust in institutions. Michaël holds a Master of Arts in Philosophy (Cum Laude), a Master of Science in Policy & Organisation Studies, a Professional Doctorate in Engineering and a Doctorate in Economics (Summa Cum Laude).