ABSTRACT
Georg Simmel is one of the most important classics of the sociology of conflict. Two of his writings are called to mind in the first part.
In Der Streit, which Coser rediscovered and made known, Simmel argues that conflicts do not have a priori a disintegrative or even a destructive impact on society, as enemies often foster internal cohesion of societal entities.
In Die Kreuzungsozialer Kreise (The web of group-affiliations, translated 1955), he assumes that individuals in modern societies act as bridges between a variety of social networks. The resulting role conflicts and cross-cutting cleavages reinforce social cohesion because members of such networks develop rather multiple and, hence, tolerance-promoting identities than solitary ones.
The second part pays tribute to the history, empirical evidence and up-to-datedness of the theses inspired by Simmel (outside threat, multiple identities, cross-cutting cleavages). Many assumptions and theses have found resonance above all in social psychology and the political sciences. Hence, a large amount of empirical evidence supports his theses and underpins the fruitfulness of his writings.
