PERITIA at the Festival “How The Light Gets In”

As part of the annual philosophy and music festival How The Light Gets In, PERITIA’s coordinator Maria Baghramian offered an in-depth interview to the Institute of Arts and Ideas about trust in a relative world.

The six-part conversation encompasses an array of topics related to PERITIA’s work, from the philosophical link between relativism and trust to how to improve trust between the public and experts.

Baghramian emphasised the importance of understanding the nature of trust for those who wish or are expected to be trusted, from politicians to experts, or even in our personal relationships with our parents or friends.

“Trust involves a feeling, a sense of vulnerability. When you trust someone, you are taking a risk. You make yourself open to betrayal. Trust is always accompanied by the possibility of betrayal and it is that possibility that should be taken into account in the relationships between people who are to be trusted or wish to be trusted”, she explains.

“Looking at the political scene today, many experts and policymakers may have underestimated the role of emotion and values in establishing trust and trustworthiness”, she says.

While much research is still undergoing, PERITIA’s coordinator pointed out to some of initial findings of the project, particularly in relation to understand trust in expert beyond the regular such as academic competence or professional performance.

“People perceive trustworthiness not just in those formal criteria of competence, track record, etc. but also in terms of group values, group emotions”, she underlines.

The full interview can be watched on the Institute of Arts and Ideas website. If you prefer to select segments of the interview, please visit this page.