Messages from Georg Simmel / by Horst J. Helle.

• Author: Helle, Horst Jürgen.
• Year of Publication: 2012
• Language: English
• Series: Studies in Critical Social Sciences 49.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (211 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.
• Other title: Preliminary Material /; The Message of Interpretation /; The Message of Change: Society Evolves Over Time /; The Message of Interaction: How Reality is Constructed /; The Message of Alienation: Money and Politics /; The Main Thrust of the Messages contra Marx and Weber /; Background of the Messages: Intellectual Influences /; Appendix 1: Biography of Georg Simmel /; Appendix 2: Simmel’s Autobiographical Fragment /; References /; Index /
• Bibliography: Includes bibliographical references and index.
• ISBN: 1283638185; 900423571X
• Hierarchical level: Monograph
• Statement of Responsibility: by Horst J. Helle.

As founder of the humanist version of sociology, Simmel sent powerful messages that are identified and explained in this book: interpretation - things are often not what they appear to be; change - culture and society evolve over time; interaction - reality is socially constructed; alienation - people define the value of money without taking responsibility for this construction. Simmel sees humans defining objects in interaction as valuable or worthless, but then they refuse to acknowledge having anything to do with the process of value attribution. He is critical in politics as well; Simmel is concerned that socialism is treated as a political movement and not viewed as a potential form of social interaction.