Introduction: public justification, legitimacy, and social trust

ABSTRACT

This contribution introduces key concepts and themes from Kevin Vallier’s Trust in a Polarized Age that play a role in the discussion by the four commentators Diana Mutz, Pierre-Guillaume Méon, Chandran Kukathas, and Paul Weithman. The discussion explains how Vallier uses the rich empirical literature on social trust to illuminate normative notions of legitimacy and public justification in liberal orders.

KEYWORDS:

• Trust
• legitimacy
• justice
• public justification

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Additional information

Notes on contributors

Adam Gjesdal

Adam Gjesdal is Visiting Assistant Professor of Law and Ethics at the Gabelli School of Business, Fordham University. His recent work has appeared in journals that include Journal of the American Philosophical Association and Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy.