Abstract

“Man is the limited being that has no limit”. Simmel’s paradox illustrates the singularity of a way of thinking centered on the unity of contraries. Wandering through a large variety of seemingly disconnected objects - “bridge and door”, “the ruin”, “the handle”, “the adventure”, “the poor”, “the stranger”... -, Simmel has questioned secret affinities, transgressed limits and dissolved borders in order to recognize, at last, the unity of life manifesting in a multiplicity of forms. The most decanted expression of this subject is found in the metaphysical essays published as his “testament” - Vision of Life. Elucidating the common threads that weave together the diverse themes, objects and disciplines to which Simmel dedicated himself, this last book is the fragment where the totality of his work is best reflected.