It becomes self-evident that there is no institution, no law, no estate of life, which can uniformly satisfy the full demands of the two opposing principles. The only realization of this condition possible for humanity finds expression in constantly changing approximation, in ever retracted attempts and ever revived hopes.

XREF: Echoes liberal pluralism and Isaiah Berlin's value pluralism about incommensurable goods in political systems.

Georg Simmel, on individuality and social…, loc. 710