Georg Simmel (1858–1918)

I can only quote Walter Benjamin: "This book is full of insights, so long as you disregard its central thesis."

A bizarre neo-Kantian treatise of the "unfolding in time of money," this work is almost horrifically wide-ranging in its analysis and penetrating in its depth. While the transcendentalism inherent in the metaphysical treatment of money is repulsive (especially when he discusses gender), his elaboration on the material semiotics and cultural situated-ness of money are absolutely show more brilliant.

Huge influence on Max Weber and much of the Frankfurt School, has an interesting take on historical materialism. show less

This is a collection of Georg Simmel's essays on Rome, Florence, and Venice plus his essay on "The Metropolis and the Life of the Spirit." Simmel has had a great influence on many thinkers of the 20th century and particularly in the area of urban studies and psycho-geography.

The essays on the cities are interesting in how he takes similar features of each and comes to different conclusions about what each city is or represents based on how these similar features are juxtaposed or used. I show more think the discussions, while interesting, might be somewhat time specific (these are from the turn of the last century) as far as whether he might come to the same conclusions in the current cities. That said, the thought processes are both worth reading and worth adding to our own arsenal of ways to think about location.

The extra essay is remarkably still applicable to the contemporary city. I don't agree with some of his subjective judgements about what things mean but the hows and whys seem to still hold a lot of water. In other words the methodology still holds a lot of value though the assumptions might be different now than then.

A short and interesting read if you're interested in urban areas, psycho-geography, sociology, and/or philosophy. If you're familiar with Simmel this is a handy collection, first time collected together in English. If you aren't familiar with him this is a very accessible introduction to how he thinks as well as an area in which he has probably had the most prolonged influence.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Edelweiss. show less

Another brilliant German who was destroyed by Nazi thugs.

{Simmel is one of the sturdiest thinkers to have evaluated the evolution of financial vehicles: From exchange through currency to modern Credit. That is, from chickens and pigs (valuable but messy), to gold (valuable but variable), to coinage (standard but heavy), to paper (light but forgable), to "credit" with no Thing representing the chose-in-action. He described the modern "credit system" a century ago.}

Philosopher Georg Simmel (1858-1918) compares the philosophies of 19th century German thinkers Arthur Schopenhauer and Friedrich Nietzsche in an attempt to discover the root of their differences and foundations of their agreement. This critical analysis takes the form of a deconstruction of the defining ideas of these two philosophers of life, in search of the purpose of existence in both social and individual contexts.