How can social change come about? Is it possible to have democratic government without political parties? Can we have a productive economy without unfettered and aggressive competition? How can social and ecological ills be addressed without resorting to a 'culture of protest'? Adversarialism has become the predominant strand in contemporary western-liberal societies. Throughout the public sphere, competitive and conflictual practices have become institutionalised norms. In his analysis of present-day society, Michael Karlberg puts forward the thesis that our present 'culture of contest' is...