This original contribution to the ethical and political significance of philosophy addresses a number of major themes--identity, violence, the erotic, freedom, responsibility, religious belief, globalization--and critically engages with the work of Kierkegaard, Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Derrida, and Levinas. It promotes a unique blend of deconstructive critique and a certain English skepticism, leading to the affirmation of a negative capability--a patience and vigilance in the face of both human folly and philosophy's own homegrown pathologies. The author argues for the extension of our sense...