This essay argues argues that there is a persistent tension between two visions of the self in Simmel’s work. In one of these, which I call a decentered conception, the self is characterized by complex, socially-constituted multiplicity. In the other, Simmel strove to understand and reconstruct the grounds for an authentically unique individuality, particularly though not exclusively in his late work. Each of these visions is richer and more complex than has sometimes been appreciated. Important recent arguments about Simmel’s late work, including “The Law of the Individual,” The View of Life, and his Lebensphilsophie in general, have seen it as putting forward a conception of the relational self that overcame this tension. I argue that unreconciled tensions remained, though it is true that his late work was the culmination of his sociological project, not its abandonment. I propose that Simmel’s mature conception of individuality would be better captured by the notion of multiple authenticities rather than a singular, unified law of the individual. This would have been more in keeping with his sociology as well as with his views about the importance of moral conflict.

中文翻译：

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“乔治·齐美尔：去中心化的自我和恢复真实的个性”

这篇文章认为，在齐美尔的作品中，两种对自我的看法之间存在着持久的张力。在其中一个，我称之为去中心化的概念中，自我的特征是复杂的、社会构成的多样性。另一方面，齐美尔努力理解和重建真正独特的个性的基础，尤其是在他晚期的作品中。这些愿景中的每一个都比有时所理解的更丰富、更复杂。最近关于齐美尔晚期作品的重要论点，包括《个体的法则》、《人生观》和他的一般生活哲学，都认为它提出了一种克服这种紧张关系的关系自我概念。我认为不可调和的紧张局势仍然存在，尽管他后期的工作确实是他的社会学计划的高潮，而不是它的放弃。我建议齐美尔成熟的个性概念会被多重真实性的概念更好地捕捉，而不是单一的、统一的个体规律。这将更符合他的社会学以及他对道德冲突重要性的看法。