Abstract

Trust is an important element in facing the new technological risks arising in a complex society. All the elements that – intentionally or unintentionally – generate fear, instead of information and knowledge, tend politically to favor conservative or authoritarian solutions, instead of positive, innovative attitudes. In order to face uncertainty and social anxiety it is suggested that we need to reinvent politics – as Ulrich Beck had suggested – designing new decision rules and new contexts of trust – replacing the traditional ones (family, neighborhoods, religion and tradition).