Simmel and Since: Essays on Georg Simmel's Social Theory

The 1980s have witnessed a steady growth of interest in the social theory of Georg Simmel. For long a neglected figure in sociology, Simmel is now recognized as an extremely shrewd and subtle commentator on the distinctive qualities of modern life. "Simmel and Since" ranges from accounts of key concepts in Simmel's theory such as that of "society" and his neglected contribution to social psychology, to aspects of his theory of modernity and his place in contemporary debates on postmodernity. The main body of the text examines aspects of Simmel's social theory of modernity, its context, its economic aspects, and its relevance for present debates on the metropolis, social space, leisure, aesthetics and postmodernity. All of the chapters are grounded in a study of original sources.