Simmel's 1903 essay has stood the test of time. It is considered one of the most influential works of urban psychology ever written. With this in mind, I'd like us all to assume that his basic conclusions about city life at the turn of the last century are/were valid. I would, however, like to get some sense as to how applicable and/or useful you think Simmel's descriptions and conclusions of the individual struggle to maintain independence in the face of overwhelming political, historical, cultural, and technological forces are today. Reading this essay, do you feel his observations and conclusions are useful mainly for their historical importance or do you get the sense that his writings may have a greater relevance today than they did during his time? Make sure to use at least one quotation from "The Metropolis and Mental Life" to back up your points. (Answers should be roughly 6-10 sentences in length)Sunday, September 28, 2014
"The Metropolis and Mental Life" Blog Post
Simmel's 1903 essay has stood the test of time. It is considered one of the most influential works of urban psychology ever written. With this in mind, I'd like us all to assume that his basic conclusions about city life at the turn of the last century are/were valid. I would, however, like to get some sense as to how applicable and/or useful you think Simmel's descriptions and conclusions of the individual struggle to maintain independence in the face of overwhelming political, historical, cultural, and technological forces are today. Reading this essay, do you feel his observations and conclusions are useful mainly for their historical importance or do you get the sense that his writings may have a greater relevance today than they did during his time? Make sure to use at least one quotation from "The Metropolis and Mental Life" to back up your points. (Answers should be roughly 6-10 sentences in length)
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The "Metropolis and Mental Life" describes the individuals experience in the in 1903. He describes that, in 1903, the individual was struggling to maintain their independence against an ever-changing world. I personally believe that his statements makes more sense today than they did in 1903. He argues that “the last remnants of domestic production and direct barter of goods have been eradicated.” This is a rather bold statement, as jobs continued to be produced the manufacturing industry until the 1980’s. This statement would make more sense today, as most of the domestic production jobs thirty years ago have moved overseas. I agree that his description of the “money economy” of this era also applies to today. We spend and sell like no other country on earth, and consume as much as possible too. Today, the individuals mindset ultimately has to succomb to this “money economy” to keep their mortgage, pay their bills, and ultimately stay alive. If they don’t, they will be out on the street. Today, the individual has to stay with this crowd, if they don’t, they will be viewed as an outcast, and an odd man out.
ReplyDeleteLet's see if this works... It seems very prominent that this essay can be related to the modern world, and specifically Proctor. Simmel states, "The smaller the circle which forms our environment and the more limited the relationships which have the possibility of transcending the boundaries, the more anxiously the narrow community watches over the deeds, the conduct of life and the attitudes of the individuals..." Although Proctor is a world wide community, thinking of specifically the main Andover campus it is very small and sings true to what this quote is saying. There is a lot of structure in the form of rules, guidelines, as well as emotional/academic support. Within a small community there is an inherent hierarchy which Simmel observed as the community watches over one another. This idea can be seen in other aspects of modern life such as commercial stores, military/army/police/fire fighters, and restaurants. It seems that this aspect of life has not changed or morphed in basic principle but rather has adapted with the evolution of the people.
ReplyDeleteIn his 1903 work, The Metropolis and Mental Life, Georg Simmel stated that people have a hard time keeping their individuality in the ,then, modern world. This is even more relevant today than it was when written. He states that there was a "frightful difference in rate of growth between the two (rich and poor classes)which represents, in many points, rather a regression of the culture of the individual with reference to spirituality, delicacy, and idealism." (18) The reason this is so relevant today is that some people, specifically those in other countries with less strict labor laws, need to work all hours of the day, every day, so that they can live the barest minimum of a life, leaving no time for reflection and emotional growth. The only option is tom keep moving, but when someone can't stop to think on life, they cannot move on. While the poor are unable to grow, so also are the rich, but for the opposite reason. Without the challenges of daily life, people cannot grow because there is no reason for them to do so. This leads to a lower class incapable of growth, and an upper class with no need for growth, so yeah. The modern metropolitan life is devoid of spirituality and individuality, just like he said.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the greatest, most informed comments I have ever seen.
Delete"Just as in feudal times the ‘free’ man was he who stood under the law of the land, that is, under the law of the largest social unit.” This statement can easily be related to the modern world. This is because those that conform to the largest social unit are ‘free’ from judgement and scrutiny. This applies to the modern era, because even now, communities of all sizes, races and religions still practice this way of conforming. As Leah stated above, this especially applies to schools. Many schools and businesses, set up structures/ideas as to how they want their students/workers to act, in school/work and outside of school/work. Although this can be viewed as a positive thing (especially at Proctor), it is still causing the participants to work triple as hard to think differently, act differently, and to just overall be a completely different person. In fact, as Georg Simmel has brought up in his essay, The Metropolis and Mental Life, many people have forgotten their individuality in general, and have stopped the fight to keep it. Now a days, it seems that more and more people are willing to just give their unique differences and aspects away.
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