Introduction: Trust, happiness, and the history of European political thought

László Kontler, Mark Somos

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    Abstract (may include machine translation)

    In political and public discourse, debates concerning trust and fidelity, happiness and well-being, social contract and social capital, and the connections between them, have intensified over the past two decades. Broadly speaking, the legitimacy of political institutions continues to be regarded as dependent on the extent of their commitment to the ‘happiness’ of citizens and on the amount of ‘trust’ citizens hold regarding the ability and willingness of political leaders to work for the attainment of the material, spiritual, and cultural welfare of the generality of the people whose allegiance they claim. Further, besides cementing the relationship of governments and the citizenry, mutual trust and cooperation are also recognized as a principal means of securing unity of purpose among various governmental and non-governmental agencies tasked with promoting happiness, social cohesion, and solidarity.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationTrust and Happiness in the History of European Political Thought
    EditorsLaszlo Kontler, Mark Somos
    PublisherBrill Academic Publishers
    Pages1-15
    Number of pages15
    ISBN (Electronic)9789004353664
    DOIs
    StatePublished - 2018

    Publication series

    NameStudies in the History of Political Thought
    Volume11
    ISSN (Print)1873-6548

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