The loss of trust in political actors and institutions increasingly shapes the social climate. Disappointment and skepticism spread as simple solutions and radical promises resonate in many places. At the same time, even within established political milieus and cultural debates, calls for restrictions and bans are growing louder. Public disputes appear increasingly driven by fear — from the question of whether certain opinions should remain unspoken to dark doomsday scenarios that dominate the discourse.
Trust and the willingness to engage in open dialogue are among the fundamental pillars of democratic culture. Yet this very capacity seems to be eroding. Where does the current susceptibility to disappointment come from? Are the causes overblown expectations, persistent political overload, or societal impositions? And what paths exist to rebuild trust?
Approaches for a Renewed Democratic Culture
Not all sources of collective confidence have dried up. Despite intense religious criticism, religion remains, in particular, a locus where practices of building trust and social bonding persist. Even in everyday interaction, both in private life and in the public sphere, these practices can still be observed.
Volume 55 of the long-standing series “Scheidewege” takes up these questions and argues for leaving the comfort zone of political disenchantment. The contributions explore tensions, name ambivalent developments, and offer approaches for a renewed democratic culture.
“‘Disappointment and Trust’ comes from Prof. Dr. em. Jean-Pierre Wils, emeritus Professor of Philosophical Ethics and Cultural Philosophy at Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen. Wils, who studied philosophy and theology in Leuven and Tübingen and is a member of German PEN, has been responsible for the publication of “Scheidewege” since 2021. Among his more recent Hirzel Verlag publications are works on the ethics of suicide, societal polarization, and the significance of consolation. (dd/pm)
