The Mind of the Modernist

Abstract

Georg Simmel is known for his ‘formal’ sociology and discussion of interaction using spatial imagery. Responding to the standard view of Simmel, this article investigates his equally important ideas about time and temporality. In his philosophical and sociological writings Simmel explores the nature of knowledge of the past, mechanistic and organic conceptions of temporality, and the experience and social construction of time-consciousness. The modern money economy encourages a dynamic acceleration and compression of time, while cultural modernity ushers in an ‘eternal present’. Simmel's interpretation of time and temporality are central to his thought and contribute to his significance as a social theorist.