Immanuel Kant’s vision of perpetual peace through cosmopolitan hospitality, rooted in the economic interdependence of nation-states, has faltered in the face of persistent global hostilities. Jacques Derrida’s deconstructive critique of Kant’s cosmopolitanism, particularly through his concepts of the New International and unconditional hospitality, offers a framework to rethink global relations beyond state sovereignty.
This study explores Derrida’s ideas alongside Pope Francis’s concept of social friendship, which emphasizes dialogue and solidarity as ethical foundations for peace. Drawing on the cultural ethos of Goan-ness—a people-driven, inclusive hospitality rooted in Goa’s historical cosmopolitanism—the study proposes a hybrid model of hospitality that transcends Kant’s limitations. By synthesizing these perspectives, it argues for a hopeful, praxis-oriented approach to fostering peace in a fractured world.
Immanuel Kant’s 1795 essay Toward Perpetual Peace posited that nation-states, driven by economic self-interest, would foster a cosmopolitan order of hospitality to avoid the costs of war. This vision of “perpetual peace” assumed that rational state actors would prioritize mutual benefit, granting strangers a “right of visitation” (Besuchsrecht) without hostility. However, the persistence of nationalism, border conflicts, and exclusionary policies—evident in modern refugee crises and geopolitical tensions—demonstrates the failure of Kant’s optimism.
Jacques Derrida critiques Kant’s conditional hospitality, arguing that it reinforces state sovereignty and excludes the unconditional welcome of the Other. Derrida’s New International and his ethics of hospitality propose a radical rethinking of global relations, emphasizing openness to alterity.
Complementing this, Pope Francis’s encyclical Fratelli Tutti (2020) advocates for social friendship as a dialogic, inclusive ethics that counters hostility. This study integrates these ideas with the unique hospitality of Goan-ness, a cultural practice of openness shaped by Goa’s history of pluralism, to propose a new model of cosmopolitanism that moves from hostility to hospitality.
Derrida’s engagement with Kant, particularly in On Cosmopolitanism and Forgiveness (2001) and Of Hospitality (2000), deconstructs the aporetic nature of hospitality. Kant’s cosmopolitan right, limited to visitation and conditioned by state laws, inherently excludes unconditional hospitality—the absolute welcome of the stranger without restrictions. Derrida argues that true hospitality requires a “hyper-ethical” law that transcends sovereignty, as conditional hospitality risks “hostipitality,” a term he coins to highlight the latent hostility within controlled welcome.
For Derrida, Kant’s framework fails because it prioritizes state power over ethical obligation, marginalizing refugees, immigrants, and the stateless.
Derrida’s New International, introduced in Specters of Marx (1994), offers a counterpoint. This “alliance without institution” rejects the hierarchical structures of nation-states and global capitalism, advocating for a solidarity-based network of individuals and movements committed to justice.
Unlike Kant’s federation of states, the New International is non-sovereign, emphasizing hope for peace through collective ethical responsibility. Derrida’s vision aligns with his call for unconditional hospitality, where the stranger is welcomed not as a threat but as a transformative presence. This hope, however, is aporetic: unconditional hospitality is impossible within the constraints of sovereignty, yet it remains a necessary aspiration to challenge hostility.
In Fratelli Tutti, late Pope Francis proposes social friendship as an antidote to the “fever of hostility” in modern societies. Social friendship is a practice of dialogue, kindness, and solidarity that transcends cultural, religious, and national boundaries. Drawing on St. Francis of Assisi’s encounter with the Sultan during the Crusades, Pope Francis emphasizes a hospitality that avoids conflict and embraces the Other without renouncing one’s identity.
This ethic aligns with Derrida’s unconditional hospitality, as it prioritizes the dignity of the stranger over exclusionary norms. For Pope Francis, social friendship fosters peace by cultivating a “culture of kindness” that counters aggression and builds bridges across divides.Unlike Kant’s state-centric model, social friendship is people-driven, rooted in everyday acts of encounter—listening, smiling, and understanding.
Pope Francis critiques the “consumerist isolation” that fuels hostility, advocating for a global ethic where the vulnerable, such as refugees and the poor, are central to social coexistence. His call for dialogue with “inconvenient” others mirrors Derrida’s openness to alterity, suggesting that peace emerges from embracing difference rather than enforcing uniformity.
Goan-ness, the cultural identity of Goa, India, offers a lived example of cosmopolitan hospitality that complements Derrida and Pope Francis. Shaped-By centuries of Portuguese colonialism, trade, and cultural exchange, Goa’s society is a melting pot of Hindu, Catholic, Muslim, and other influences. This pluralism fosters a hospitality that is not state-imposed but emerges from the people, evident in practices like susegad (a relaxed, welcoming lifestyle) and communal festivals that transcend religious divides.
Goan-ness embodies a “cosmopolitanism from below,” where hospitality is extended to strangers through shared meals, music, and dialogue, regardless of origin.Unlike Kant’s formal cosmopolitan right, Goan hospitality is informal and relational, aligning with Pope Francis’s social friendship. It also resonates with Derrida’s unconditional hospitality, as Goans historically welcomed diverse traders, settlers, and travelers without rigid conditions, creating a fluid identity that resists nationalist exclusion.
For instance, the Goan diaspora maintains this ethos globally, fostering inclusive communities that mirror the New International’s non-hierarchical solidarity. However, Goan-ness is not without tensions; modern tourism and economic pressures sometimes strain this openness, echoing Derrida’s hostility.
The synthesis of Derrida’s New International, Pope Francis’s social friendship, and Goan-ness offers a robust alternative to Kant’s failed cosmopolitanism. Derrida’s deconstruction exposes the limits of state-driven hospitality, urging an ethical openness that the New International envisions as a global alliance for justice.
Pope Francis’s social friendship provides a practical ethic of dialogue and kindness, grounding Derrida’s abstract hope in everyday actions. Goan-ness demonstrates how cultural practices can embody this synthesis, offering a model of people-driven hospitality that transcends sovereignty and fosters peace.This new hospitality operates on three levels:Ethical Aspiration: Derrida’s unconditional hospitality sets a moral horizon, challenging nations to welcome the Other without exclusionary conditions.
Pope Francis’s social friendship translates this aspiration into actionable steps—listening, encountering, and building solidarity with the marginalized.
Goan-ness illustrates how communities can live this hospitality, creating inclusive spaces that resist hostility through shared cultural practices.
To move from hostility to hospitality, the following steps could help :
1. Decenter Sovereignty:
Following Derrida, global policies must prioritize human dignity over state control, reforming asylum laws to reflect unconditional hospitality.
2.Foster Dialogue:
Inspired by Pope Francis, governments and communities should promote interfaith and intercultural dialogues to build social friendship, reducing prejudice against strangers.
3. Amplify Local Practices:
Goan-ness suggests that grassroots hospitality can inspire global models. Supporting community-led initiatives, like cultural festivals or refugee integration programs, can scale this ethos.
4. Build Solidarity Networks:
The New International calls for transnational movements that unite individuals and communities in advocating for justice, countering nationalist hostility.
Conclusion
Kant’s vision of perpetual peace through cosmopolitan hospitality has been undermined by the persistence of state-driven hostility. Derrida’s New International and unconditional hospitality critique this failure, offering a hopeful yet aporetic path toward peace. Pope Francis’s social friendship provides a practical ethic of dialogue and solidarity, while Goan-ness exemplifies a lived cosmopolitanism that embodies these ideals. Together, they propose a new hospitality that transcends Kant’s limitations, rooted in ethical openness, relational praxis, and cultural inclusivity. By embracing these principles, humanity can take meaningful steps from hostility to hospitality, fostering a world where peace is not a dream but lived reality