Georg Simmel

Georg Simmel was a great influence on American sociological theory. Simmel had four basic interests that consisted of psychology, interaction, structure and institution. His greatest concern was the conflicts between individual and objective cultures. The transition from an individual to a group atmosphere allowed Simmel to acknowledge the development of large-scale structures that dominated individuals. However, Simmel did not focus largely on social structures, but rather reduced these structures to interaction patterns. He was interested in the destructive effect of culture on individuals, as well as money and life in general.   He believed that the modern world was dependent on honesty due to the increasing credit economy, forcing people to pay back their debts.  Simmel states, "Under modern conditions, the lie, therefore, becomes something much more devastating than it was earlier, something which questions the very foundations of our life".

Sociology in Switzerland presents - Georg Simmel online!

http://socio.ch/sim/index_sim.htm

This is a great site that examines all of Simmel’s work, as well as his life and life experiences. Also, since this website is based in Switzerland, it gives insight into what the Swiss and other Europeans find most important about his work and life, and how that differs from United States' perceptions of these events. Europeans seem to be more interested in why he chose the methods he did, instead of a focus on the importance of his theories and the meanings they have. This site is in English as well as German.

A Chapter in the Philosophy of Value

http://socserv2.socsci.mcmaster.ca/~econ/ugcm/3ll3/simmel/index.html

In this site details are given of the economy and its relationship with exchange and the balance between sacrifice and gain. The idea of exchanging is specifically stated by Simmel, "If any object over which we have control is to help us to the possession or enjoyment of another, it is generally under the condition that we forego the enjoyment of its own peculiar worth." Therefore one must make a sacrifice in order to gain certain things and without that sacrifice exchange cannot be made.  The enjoyment of one object must first be obtained as well as valued.

Classical Theoretical perspectives in Urban Sociology

www.nwmissouri.edu/nwcourses/martin/urban/classictheory/sld002.htm

This web site is broken up into two slides each consisting of three facts about Georg Simmel. The first one is about Georg Simmel’s ideas’ relating to urban sociology. The other one is about Simmel’s The Metropolis and Mental Health.

The Dead Sociologist’s Society

http://www.runet.edu/~lridener/DSS/INDEX.HTML#simmel

This site, created by Dr. Larry Ridener of Radford University, talks about Simmel’s life experiences, the work he completed, and the impact of his work. His original work is discussed including the social types (the mediator, the stranger, the renegade, and the adventurer, among others). Other works discussed include the Philosophy of Money, and the significance of numbers. Overall, this site provides a great overview of Simmel’s work, and his life.

Critical Inquiry

http://www2.uchicago.edu/jnl-crit-inq/v22/v22n3.habermas.html

This web site has a number of sociology topics to choose from. The one on Georg Simmel is called, "Georg Simmel on Philosophy and Culture: Postscript to a Collection of Essays." The site gives a brief summary of his ideas on these topics in a short essay.