Against the widespread supposition that moral conflict is undermining of community, this book argues that conflict is necessary for a liberal political community. It develops a new philosophical basis for political association at the heart of which lies an innovative account of the way in which journey narratives in literature can serve to shed light on the possibilities for solidarity in modern democratic societies.

Rather than undermining it, this book argues that moral conflict is necessary for a liberal political community. It develops a new philosophical basis for political association based on an innovative account of the way journey narratives in literature shed light on the possibilities for solidarity in modern democratic societies.