The moral and political philosophy of pluralism has become increasingly influential. To pluralists, when values genuinely conflict we should aim to strike an appropriate balance or trade-off between them, though this means accepting that compromise will be inevitable. Politics, as a result, appears as a thoroughly tragic affair. Drawing on a 'hermeneutical' conception of interpretation, the author develops an original account of practical reasoning, one which assumes that, though making compromises in the face of conflicts is indeed often unavoidable, there are times when reconciliation, as distinct from compromise, is feasible. For this to be so, however, citizens must strive to converse - and not just negotiate - with each other, thus fulfilling the good that is at the heart of their shared political community. This is the central message of the patriotic alternative to pluralist politics that the author defends here.

Charles Blattberg is associate professor, Department of Political Science, Universit? de Montr?al. Educated at Toronto, McGill, the Sorbonne, and Oxford, he is the author of From Pluralist to Patriotic Politics: Putting Practice First and Shall We Dance?

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'An excellent study of contemporary democratic theory, well versed in the classics of political philosophy.' P. Coby, Smith College, Choice

...among the mass of work on related issues now appearing, a genuinely original and worthwhile contribution. Paul Gilbert, Philosophy 75, no.294 (Oct 2000)

'a fascinating book' Michael Burgess, Democratization

...a fascinating book about political philosophy. Michael Burgess, University of Hull, in Democratization 8, no.2 (summer 2001)