Georg Simmel

About the author

Georg Simmel (1858–1918) was a German sociologist, philosopher, and critic whose work helped found the discipline of sociology. His neo-Kantian approach established sociological antipositivism, reframing Kant's question about nature to ask instead: "What is society?" He pioneered the analysis of individuality and social fragmentation, treating social and cultural phenomena through shifting "forms" and "contents" — making him a forerunner of structuralist thinking.

His essay "The Metropolis and Mental Life" anticipated urban sociology and social network analysis. An acquaintance of Max Weber, Simmel's nonpositivist theory helped shape the Frankfurt School's critical theory.