Political Theory Beyond Hope: Vision Without Anticipation

Whether “evening philosophy” or the political theory of “daybreak,” political theory and climate activism often affirm the ethical role of hope to meet this historical moment, which is characterized by ecological and political crises. This article addresses hope’s promise and limitations for meeting the demands of the day. Even when hope is divested from the narrative of progress, it retains an anticipatory residue that keeps hope bound to a cycle of disappointment or disfulfillment. In this article, I argue that hope is what James Martel refers to as an ideological archon (or invisible power), whose anticipatory gaze is bound to disappoint and diminish agency. Rather than binding climate activism to a disappointing principle or affect, I argue that political theory should move beyond hope.