"As is known, the circle of life, which was probably governed by the law of similarity in earlier times, was much more extensive than it is now. These were micro- and macrocosm - to name just one of the many formulations in which, thus, it is found the experience of similarity in the course of history. Even in the case of modern man, it can be argued that the situations in which he perceives similarities consciously in everyday life represent a tiny part of those countless moments when similarities are determined unconsciously - for example, in faces. in comparison with the countless multitudes that are perceived unconsciously or not perceived at all, one can compare it with a small tip of an iceberg sticking out of the water, while a huge block of ice is hidden under the water. "Benjamin's thoughts, even if they are similar to something past and known, upon careful examination do not fit into our usual framework. The German thinker, long before everyone else, drew attention to the self-referentiality of the means of transmitting information; he saw his task in searching for ways of consolidating knowledge that have been lost in modern times. contents About language in general and about human language Letter to Martin Buber [On the essence of language] About the program of the future philosophy Fate and character To the criticism of violence Capitalism as religionA brief history of photographyThe author as a producerThe doctrine of similarityAbout mimetic abilityWood and speechThe work of art in the era of its technical reproducibilityTheological-political fragmentAbout the concept of historyThe task of the translator (Preface to the translation of an excerpt from Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du Evil)