ABSTRACT
The political movement has become the typical vehicle for modern politics, mainly due to the global expansion of Western practices. To contemporary Western readers, the role of the movement - or party, or pressure-group - may simply appear as a natural, intrinsic component of political life. At other periods of history, and in some non-Western cultures, the role and legitimacy of such movements are far from self-evident. This chapter explores two main issues: the role of the political movement, and specifically how it might be harmonized within other political traditions. I use the term 'reconciliation' to discuss an approach to politics which fully appreciates the values of Western liberalism, but which is also alert to some of its risks.
