Immanence of the Passes, Transcendence of the Summits. The Intensity of Life

Abstract

The text analyzes the difference between two forms of life, one grounded in immanence and the other in transcendence, drawing on the concrete experience of the mountain. It highlights the tension between the summit conceived as an absolute value to be conquered and the experience of the route, the passes, and the crossings as sites of lived intensity. It further shows that an “intense life” does not coincide with a mere quantitative intensification of everyday life, but entails a qualitative transformation capable of generating exclusive and non-negotiable values. The logic of conquering the summit configures a transcendent regime that risks emptying the journey of its intrinsic meaning, reducing it to a purely instrumental means. By contrast, an “immanentist practice of the mountain” emphasizes sensory attentiveness, engagement with the terrain, and the intensity of present experience. From this perspective, meaning does not concentrate in an ultimate goal but unfolds throughout the entire path. The opposition between these two regimes is ultimately extended to the political and ecological spheres, where immanence is proposed as an alternative to models grounded in absolute and totalizing values.