Introduction

The essays on Georg Simmel’s social theory assembled here are the result of a decade’s preoccupation with his work. This commenced with the joint translation (with Tom Bottomore) of Simmel’s The Philosophy of Money (first published 1978). It continued with monographs in which Simmel’s work stands at the centre, notably Sociological Impressionism (first published 1981) and Georg Simmel (first published 1984). Simmel’s work on modernity also forms a significant component of my Fragments of Modernity (first published 1986). Reflections on Simmel’s social theory also play a more minor role in Society (1986, with Derek Sayer). Alongside a number of interpretive essays, most of which are reprinted here in revised form, my concern with Simmel’s social theory has been enhanced by participation in the critical German edition of his works (under the general editorship of Otthein Rammstedt) which will eventually comprise twenty-four volumes. This has resulted in my editing (with Klaus C.Köhnke) the critical edition of Philosophie des Geldes (1989) and (with H.-Jürgen Dahme) of Aufsätze und Abhandlungen: 1894-1900 (1992). In addition, a volume of materials for the contextualisation and interpretation of the former work (again with Klaus C.Köhnke) will appear as Materialien zur Philosophie des Geldes (1992).