Trust in K.E. Løgstrup's Lutheran Political Ethics

Abstract

This article discusses the treatment of trust by Danish theologian and philosopher K.E. Løgstrup (1905‐1981). In order to contextualize Løgstrup's position, I first present some significant analyses of trust in philosophy and the social sciences. I then outline the Lutheran character of Løgstrup's political ethics against the background of Luther's view on government. Whereas Luther regards the political order as God‐given, Løgstrup sees basic trust as a given precondition for various kinds of socio‐political trust. He thus represents a Lutheran line of thought that can contribute to contemporary political discourse.