Author Description

Likening contemporary extremes of far-right populism and identity politics to 17th century Peasants and Puritans, Blockchain Politics examines the enduring importance of trust in political life. Kieron O’Hara develops a new theory of trust to analyse how these extremes undermine social accord and weaken representative democracy, and to suggest remedies. Outlining a novel and insightful theory of trust as the basis of community relations and political institutions, the book describes in detail how the shift towards individualism in liberal democracies frames trust as a vulnerability, taking inspiration from new technologies such as blockchain and smart contracts to implement ‘trustless trust’. O’Hara demonstrates that, on the contrary, conservative measures are needed to preserve and protect liberal societies from the excesses of modern liberalism, progressivism and identity politics. He illustrates the importance of trust in responding effectively to climate change, geopolitical uncertainty and ageing populations, and argues that the solution to such serious political issues lies in rival parties accepting the positive characteristics of modern democracies, and committing to sustaining them. Blockchain Politics is an enlightening read for academics in political science, philosophy, ethics and sociology. It is also essential for politicians, policymakers and anyone interested in reconfiguring conservatism in an age of extreme ideologies to defend institutions and practices that support trust.