Může se stát Georg Simmel miláčkem postmoderny?

George Simmel was one of the first analysts of modern society. His opinions were original. He concentraied on the level of personal contact. on reciprocity with social interaction and on the „marginal“ problems of social life. His approach was focussed on the „typical configuration of actions“ with the rapid changes in modern society, in the process of social differentiation (Differenzierung). Modern society is a monetary society. The dominant model of interpretation is economic. The danger of simplifying of social problems is represented by an economical model with his to abstract understanding of contemporary social life. Economy is one of the systems of modern society. There is a great influence of the systems of modern society. This aspect of systematic interpretations cvokes post-modern reactions. The interest of post-modern authors for the new aspects of social life is very similar to Simmels approach. The difference is in the evaluation of possibilities of „being active“. The post-modern approach. in which the man of modern or post-modern society would like to use the opportunitics of modern society, oppose to Simmel. For Simmel „being active“ is still in the relation to tradition and culture. Modern and post-modern society accentuated the present power of modern systems, ideas and so on. In Simmel’s interpretation is the man of modern society in relation to the past generation. He can select from various forms of action, not only under the influence of „power“ the contemporary systems. This selection is not a post-modern selection of „games“ but it is a „serious“ selection for a new „life orientation“. In this sense Simmel cannot be favorable for the post-modernists.