In this work, John Shotter argues that it is not in the writings of philosophers, sociologists or other theorists that we can find the basis for what to do for the best in our lives; our judgements can only be rooted in the hurly burly of the everyday, civil life of society. Ordinary people in their conversations and in their practical knowledge create the basic reality in which social institutions have their life. Shotter draws on the work of Bakhtin, Bilig, Gergen, Harre, MacIntyre, Rorty, Volosinov, Vygotsky and Wittgenstein, and connects such theoretical topics as realism and foundations to social concerns such as rights, citizenship and access to public debate. He is concerned with human culture in the widest sence, with ideas of personal relationships, civil society, social ecology, identity and belonging.