This book is an inquiry into the concept of legitimacy. In stable democratic states such as
the Nordic societies legitimacy is often taken for granted. However these essays show that
this treasure of politics is very fragile. Legitimacy is understood as a gift bestowed on the
authorities by citizens rather than a means used by the authorities in order to remain in
power. This emphasizes the role of the citizens rather than of the authorities. At the same
time legitimacy is seen as an ethical assessment of those in power. In this volume legitimacy
is studied by philosophers human rights scholars and theological ethicists. The articles cover
inter-state political systems nation states as well as conflict resolutions between
individuals on a grass root level.
