Absolute hope is a hopeless hope, or the hope of someone who is without hope, because it arises in the face of total hopelessness. We wrest it from the negativity of absolute despair. It is characterized by a resolute ‘and yet’. As a permanent condition of existence, it is not on its way towards a specific target or nearby harbour. Kafka’s ‘Hopeless’ does not arrive. Not-arriving is the fundamental trait of absolute hope. Absolute hope affords composure and confidence to life. Thus, moving in dangerous waters, Kafka’s ‘Hopeless’ leans back tranquilly.
