Immagini di pensiero: la foglia, il denaro e i passages. Per una ricerca del principio formativo dell'immaginario

The main aspect of our imaginary is the variety and the quantity of phenomenon that characterizes our everyday life. This fragmentary scenario makes it tough to consider every element as a part of a unique imaginary. However, we can take into account some classic works in order to consider different phenomenon manifestations of a unique generative principle. The aim of this paper is to examine the works of Goethe, Simmel, and Benjamin, considering that they have in common the capacity to assemble multitude in a single image of thought. In fact, although they start from different field of research, they examine the empirical world as an expression of a unique generative principle. Therefore, for Goethe leaf is the “original form” of the botanical world. While, in Simmel’s work life is the “central idea” of the modern daily life. Finally, Parisian Arcades are for Benjamin the origin of the modern capitalism. Thus, the leaf, the life, and the Arcades, are meaningful examples to focus our attention on the opportunity to discover a synthetic image of our imaginary.