Abstract

The Cunning of Reason, Reason in Action, and now Trust within Reason—no philosopher of our time has reflected more deeply or more wisely on the theme of practical reason than Martin Hollis. With Trust within Reason we have what we must, regrettably, take as his legacy to us, and a splendid legacy it is. This is a book that deserves the attention, not only of philosophers and social scientists, but of anyone who professes to think about the implications of the Enlightenment for the maintenance of social order. Hollis tells us “We cannot flourish without trust” and with this we surely must agree, following “John Locke [who] declared trust to be ‘the bond of society’”. In a “reliable social order,…people find it rational to trust one another”. Hollis’ question, and it is absolutely fundamental to debates between liberals and communitarians, or between rationalists and traditionalists, is whether reason sustains trust, and with trust social order, or whether reason undermines trust.