Elgar Companion to Georg Simmel

This innovative Companion presents a fresh perspective on the enduring relevance of one of sociology’s most inventive classical thinkers, Georg Simmel. Featuring insights from leading scholars across the discipline, it explores what the ‘Simmelian provocation’ means for contemporary sociology and society.Chapters apply novel interpretations of Simmel’s theories of social and cultural forms to diverse aspects of modern life, from aesthetics and urban experience to identity and emerging technological worlds. Examining Simmel’s often neglected ideas, the Companion proposes that his legacy lies not only in the diffusion of his wide-ranging concepts and insights, but in a distinct sociological sensibility attuned to the vital and dynamic aspects of social forms. Adopting an interpretation-through-application approach, contributors implement Simmel’s ideas to solve contemporary sociological problems and advance sub-field debates.The Elgar Companion to Georg Simmel is a crucial read for academics and students of sociology, particularly as a tool for reorienting contemporary debates in epistemology, action theory and relationalism. Given the expansive nature of Simmel’s work, it is also a valuable resource for interdisciplinary scholars in the humanities, especially in cultural studies, philosophy, aesthetics, history of art and architecture.