Georg Simmel: Explaining what Goes on in Society Today
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7202/1075213arAbstract
In the following pages I hope to transfer my enthusiasm for the sociology of Georg Simmel to my readers. My hope is powered by something of a calling to pass on the message so central his writing and thinking that it can be condensed into one simple statement: Using his approach to culture, politics, and society translates the statement “you are wrong!” to “I see, that is how you look at it!” Thus, the blunt definition of the other person as being in error becomes anacknowledgment of a new insight. Based largely on Simmel's original writings an overall view of his approach, I try to present empowering the reader how topical his thinking is in light of some alarming social and political developments world wide in society today. This simple conversion from one view of a difference of opinion to another has an obvious potential of conflict reduction, and that is why it is “advertised” here.
References
Barbano F. (1998), in Tomasi, Luigi (ed.): The Tradition of the Chicago School of Sociology, England. Abington: Ashgate Publishing Limited, pp. 37-45.
Helle H. J. (2008). “Soziologie der Konkurrenz – Sociology of Competition”, in: Canadian Journal of Sociology – Cahier Canadiens de Sociologie, 33 (4), pp. 945-978.
Helle H. J. (2019). “From Simmel’s Stranger to Today’s Refugees”, in Ders., Refugees, Religions, and Social Change. Essays on China and the Failing West. Amazon.com self-publishing: München 2019, p. 17ff.
Helle H. J. (1985). ”Ausländische Arbeitnehmer“ Spalten 425-427, in Staatslexikon der Görres-Gesellschaft, 7. Auflg., Bd. 1, Freiburg i.Br.: Herder.
Helle H. J. (2019). “The Death of Jesus as Crucial Difference between Islam and Christianity – Reflections on the Sociology of Religion”, in Ders., Refugees, Religions, and Social Change. Essays on China and the Failing West. Amazon.com self-publishing: München 2019, pp. 99-108.
Lessenich S. (2017). “Soziologische Phantasie – heute: Die Welt zu Gast bei „Freunden““, in Soziologie – Forum der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Soziologie, 46 (2), pp. 160-172).
Levine D. N. (1985). The Flight from Ambiguity. Essays in Social and Cultural Theory. Chicago & London: The University of Chicago Press, p.201f.
Simmel G. (1903). ”Soziologie der Konkurrenz“, in Neue Deutsche Rundschau, n° 14. 1903, pp.1009-1023.
Simmel G. (1908). ”Exkurs über den Fremden“, in Ders., Soziologie. Untersuchungen über die Formen der Vergesellschaftun,. Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, pp.685-691. Neudruck in Georg Simmel - Gesamtausgabe, Herausgegeben von Otthein Rammstedt, Bd. 11, 1992, pp.764-771.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.
Simmel Studies is published under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence 4.0.
With the licence CC-BY, authors retain the copyright, allowing anyone to download, reuse, re-print, modify, distribute and/or copy their contribution. The work must be properly attributed to its author.
It is not necessary to ask further permissions both to author or journal board.
