A Brief Analysis On Simmel's Social Theory Of Modernity

Simmel is considered to be the first sociologist who starts to research modernity. He starts from the modern monetary system and analyzes the changes of the modern culture, life style and individual experience in the logic of the modern monetary economy. He not only deeply discovered the crisis of modern culture and in this crisis all of the people felt confused, but also gave his prescription to this crisis, that is to establish individuality religion. This article tries to follow such thinking to introduce Simmel's ideology of modernity. Many years ago, his analyses of the modernity still seems unique, and still make future generations admire. His ideas on modern people's way of lives and their psychological feelings still have great influence in modern society.The introduction includes the life stories, works and basic thoughts of Simmel and the significance, methods of this article. Then to introduce the present research conditions about him from domestic and abroad. It describes the outline of Simmel's unfortunate experience, his peculiar ways of scattered expressing and his feelings of compassion.The body is made up of five parts. The first part focuses on its monetary economic theory. After the monetary economy, all things can be meant by monetary and the special value of property had disappeared. The difference between things only expresses the amount of money. In this process money oversteps the value, and jumped up from the ways to the absolute purpose.The second part focuses on the theory of culture tragedy. In modern society, the objective culture has become more and more powerful because of the unlimited spread of the monetary economy; however, the subjective culture has become powerless before. That is the crisis of modern culture. In order to respond this crisis, Simmel raised the theory of "distance", which is keep distance to get rid of the mediocre and boring from real life. The third part is an introduction to life styles, brought by monetary economy, of modern urban. As money has became common denominator of all values today, life styles has become objective either. The styles provide a broad space for development for rationalism and individual's freedom. However, they bring about a lot of disadvantages, such as interpersonal indifference, individual experience of emptiness and feelings of alienation of life.The fourth part introduces the ideas of Simmel's modernity crisis and his ways to salve the crisis. In Simmel's view, the crisis of modernity is a new expression of conflict between life and form. This crisis is reflected in philosophy, religion, art and other aspects. To establish individuality religion is a great way to solve the crisis. It can change the inner state of mind, and it is no longer as the external form of religion but as an individual's internal operations.The conclusion is a summary about Simmel's modernity theory. It's mainly about its contemporary survival value. By those, we can understand and learn more about his modernity theory.