David Marquand and the Dilemmas of Political Organisation

Starting from David Marquand's personal conflicts between loyalty to values and to a political party, this article explores more general examples in Marquand's writings of clashes between commitment to values and finding appropriate organisational forms in which these can be embedded. Attention centres on the problems of moving from the solidarity of small community groups to impersonal units—nation-states and beyond—and on finding appropriate organisational forms for his idea of a public realm built on mutual education. Potential conflicts between liberal attitudes and strong community identities are also discussed.