Reconsidering Cosmopolitanism and Forgivenesspresents a world-centric, caring conceptualization of cosmopolitanism and forgiveness grounded in the thought of two radical, twentieth-century continental thinkers: Hannah Arendt and Jacques Derrida. It fundamentally re-evaluates what it means to care for the world in dark times and develops a political theory of repairing, preserving and cultivating the relationships which constitute the human community. This interdisciplinary book reveals how cosmopolitanism and forgiveness each care for the powerful experience of human freedom: the power to begin new courses of political action with a plurality of people in the public realm. It not only casts new light on the political thought of both Arendt and Derrida but also contributes to ongoing debates about the nature of political spaces, the possibility for collective political action, and the importance of cultivating encounters with the unknown Other in todays digitally interconnected world.

Christopher Peys is a Rotary International Global Grant Scholar and an award winning educator at the University of St. Andrews. As an international political theorist, his work seeks to address questions about global justice, international ethics, and transitional justice. He has contributed to EInternational Relations, TheRiskyShift.com, and interned at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C.

Introduction / 1. Derrida: On Forgiveness and on cosmopolitanism / 2. Arendt: On forgiveness and care for the world / 3. Caring Cosmopolitanism: Worldly Stories and narrative voices / 4. Caring in Time: Negotiating the gap between past and future / Conclusion / Bibliography