Abstract

The aim of my dissertation is to lay the foundation for a substantive exploration of trust. In Chapter One I explain why such an exploration is important and speculate as to why the topic has been largely ignored by the philosophic community. In Chapter Two I construct a definition of trust that allows it to be differentiated from related concepts such as reliance and dependence and explicate some of the reasons as to why trust matters so much to us. In Chapter Three I present the conditions under which we can reasonably apply the definition worked out in Chapter Two toward collectives such as organizations and professions. In Chapter Four I explain some of the moral dimensions of trust and construct a framework that allows us, within limits, to address ethical questions involving issues of trust. In Chapter Five I use this framework to examine some issues concerning the physician/patient relationship. In Chapter Six I use this framework to examine some issues concerning teacher/student relationships