Nationalism or Europeanism? Simmel’s Dilemma

Despite many different research efforts over the past thirty years, one can still attend a conference and learn that Simmel was a radical nationalist who sang in this chorus throughout the First World War. The main references in this respect are the memories of the younger intellectuals of the time like Lukács and Bloch. There is no attempt at assessment – neither of Simmel’s writings nor of his letters. In contrast, the present paper deals with the issue of Simmel’s attitude to the war by focusing on its different periods and by reconstructing the twists and turns that changed it. After an analysis of the reasons that led Lukács and Bloch to claim Simmel’s treason, it describes the unique aspect of Simmel’s early position about the war. In this context, especially the issue of “clearing up” the foreign countries and Simmel’s exchange with Albion Small deserve particular attention. The effects of Simmel’s change of opinion since the spring of 1915 are then reconstructed with reference to his later war writings, especially the anthology on The War and Decisions of the Spirit (1917) as well as his late reflection on the theory of modernity in the essay on “The Conflict of Modern Culture” (1918)

Grenzen des Konsenses. Rekonstruktion einer Theorie transnormativer Vergesellschaftung

Fitzi G. Grenzen des Konsenses. Rekonstruktion einer Theorie transnormativer Vergesellschaftung. Weilerswist: Velbrück; 2015

The Heuristic Significance of Art Sociology

Art sociology may be simply seen as a specialised domain of sociological research. Yet the article suggests that it has also an overarching diagnostic significance to gain a better understanding of ongoing societal transformation trends. It analyses the classical contribution of Weber, Simmel and Bourdieu to the topic. Weber develops a causal-historical explanation for the development of occidental music. It becomes a key to the interpretation of the specific occidental form of rationalism beyond religion and economy. Simmel has a different approach. Art is for him one of the expressions of the modern times that he wants to describe to understand the transformation of the society in which he lives. The diagnostic function of art is at the centre of interest. Bourdieu, on his side, proposes a historical reconstruction for the development of the intellectual field in France during the 19th century. In this frame, art contributes to a symbolic revolution that establishes autonomous societal fields and promotes a qualitative differentiation of complex societies. Yet, Bourdieu’s researches on art have also a diagnostic potential. Building on the analytical heritage of the classics, the article inquiries into the loss of autonomy of the art field in the contemporary art market and contributes to the debate on the heuristic significance of art sociology

La crise de la culture face au multiculturalisme

Nos sociétés deviennent de plus en plus « multiculturelles ». Il s’agit d’un phénomène très présent dans les débats politiques et scientifiques, dont la définition n’est pourtant pas univoque. Communautés avec langues, religions et moeurs caractéristiques produisent différentes identités, qui se partagent bien ou mal l’espace social entre elles. Arriveront-elles à s’intégrer un jour dans une société commune ou resteront-elles toujours dans un état de conflit latent ? La crise de la culture caractérise selon Simmel la vie de l’homme moderne, qui n’arrive plus à réaliser une synthèse subjective soit des contenus objectifs de la culture soit des rôles sociaux qu’il exerce. Face à la théorie simmelienne de la culture se pose aujourd’hui la question de l’interprétation sociologique du multiculturalisme. Est-elle à voir comme une stratégie de réduction de la complexité sociale moderne ou bien comme un conflit entre « multi-communautarisme » et pluralisme sociétaire ? L’article propose une clef de lecture simmelienne de la problématique.Our societies are becoming increasingly “multicultural.” The phenomenon is a prominent element of political and scholarly debate, yet it escapes unequivocal definition. Communities with characteristic languages, religions, and customs produce distinct identities, which are shared with varying degrees of success across the common social space. Will they be able, eventually, to integrate into a common society, or will they always remain in a state of latent conflict ? According to Simmel, the crisis of culture characterizes the modern life of humanity, since people are unable to arrive at a subjective synthesis either of the objective contents of culture or of the social roles they themselves play. The Simmelian theory of culture today faces questions stemming from the sociological interpretation of multiculturalism : is it to be seen as a reductionist strategy in response to modern social complexity or as a conflict between « multi-communitarianism » and societal pluralism ? The article provides a Simmelian perspective on the arguments involved.Nuestras sociedades devienen cada vez más “multiculturales”. Se trata de un fenómeno muy presente en los debates políticos y científicos, cuya definición no es por tanto unívoca. Comunidades y lenguas, religiones y costumbres características producen diferentes identidades que comparten, bien o mal, el espacio social entre ellas. ¿Podrán éstas llegar a interrogarse algún día en una sociedad común o permanecerán siempre en un estado de conflicto latente ? Según Simmel, la crisis de la cultura caracteriza la vida del hombre moderno, quien ya no logra realizar una síntesis subjetiva ni de los contenidos objetivos de la cultura ni de los roles sociales que ejerce. Frente a la teoría simmeliana de la cultura, hoy día se cuestiona la interpretación sociológica del multiculturalismo. ¿Debe éste ser visto como una estrategia de reducción de la complejidad social moderna o como un conflicto entre “multiculturalismo” y pluralismo societario ? Este artículo propone una clave de lectura simmeliana de la problemática

Die Geburt der Lebensphilosophie aus dem Geist der Konfliktsoziologie

The development of Simmel’s “life philosophy” characterizing the late phase of his work is ordinarily presented as the product of the reception of his contemporaries, above all Henri Bergson, whom he contributed to translate and introduce in Germany. The present essay shows, however, that Simmel’s life-forms paradigm has a completely different origin. It emerges from the essential core of Simmel’s theory of modern society, i.e. from his theory of social conflict. By showing that conflict is not simply a dividing factor but a process of sociation that integrates societies, Simmel realized that the epistemological dichotomy between process and substance had to be overcome in and open-ended conception of their dialectics going beyond Hegel’s teleological conception of historical development. Simmel found the semantics to express his conception in the examination of the life philosophy of his time, but he radically transformed it to point out the problem he wanted to address. To understand the particular nature of his question, it is important to trace its origins within his sociology

Agire affettivo, carisma e ascesi intramondana. Il contributo weberiano alla sociologia delle emozioni

Max Weber è stato spesso dipinto come un pensatore razionalista, che non riconosce il ruolo delle emozioni per l’interazione sociale. In contrasto con tale interpretazione il saggio mostra quale sia il significato teorico dell’analisi delle emozioni nella sociologia di Weber. A cominciare dal livello dell’azione sociale l’agire emozionale è visto da Weber come il motivo dirimente per l’emergenza di nuove strutture dell’interazione nelle società premoderne. Lo sviluppo della teoria sociologica weberiana delle emozioni può così essere ricostruito seguendo l’architettura della sua opera postuma “Economia e società”. Qui Weber spiega come la motivazione emotiva dell’agire divenga da un lato l’impulso guida per la costruzione della struttura sociale orizzontale della Vergemeinschaftung e dall’altro per quella della struttura sociale verticale del potere carismatico. Quest’ultimo rappresenta la struttura sociale più complessa fondata sull’agire emozionale. La sua durata è tuttavia limitata nel tempo. Forme della vita sociale quotidiana devono rimpiazzare i legami carismatici se il gruppo sociale vuole sussistere oltre la fase dell’emergenza. L’attenzione per questa problematica evidenzia il particolare modo in cui Weber valuta lo status sociologico delle emozioni e cioè come uno “status liminale”. Le emozioni possono dare impulsi fondamentali allo sviluppo di relazioni sociali, ma alla lunga devono essere rimpiazzate da altre forme dell’agire come quella tradizionale o razionale. Tale assunto potrebbe portare ad affermare che specialmente nell’epoca moderna il ruolo che le emozioni svolgono all’interno della realtà sociale tenda a divenire nullo. Rivolgendo l’attenzione alla sociologia della religione di Weber questo assunto può tuttavia essere contraddetto in modo inaspettato

Scienza sociale o politica? Il dilemma dell’avalutatività

The rapid growth of the ‘studies’ profoundly influenced the social sciences in recent decades. Against the background of this reality, to ask today the question of Weber’s value neutrality appears an anachronism. The relationship between science, ethics and politics is characterized today by a massive blending of communicative codes. Political intentions and ethical principles guide the main stream of social science. The essay reconstructs the fundamental features of Weber’s conception of the conduct of life of the scientist and the political and highlights its normative intent. For Weber the functional differentiation between the spheres of science, ethics and politics is not only an achievement of modernity, but also an ethical-political heritage to defend. Weber only spends a few words about the background of this position. By comparison with Luhmann’s theory of ‘human rights as a social institution’ the essay offers a key to interpreting the position of Weber and its consequences for an analysis of the current success of the studies