Comments on Parsons's "Simmel and the Methodological Problems of Formal Sociology"

Comments on Talcott Parsons's "Simmel and Methodological Problems of Formal Sociology" (1998) to explain or evaluate Parsons's claims &/or offer interpretations of Georg Simmel's concepts. Overall, they show an understanding of Simmel's work that differs in many res...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe American sociologist Vol. 29; no. 2; pp. 51 - 56
Main Author Shils, Edward
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Transaction Periodicals Consortium 01.07.1998
Subjects
Economic competition
Economic motivation
History of Sociology
Parsons, Talcott
Simmel, Georg
Social theories
Sociologists
Theoretical Problems
Weber, Max
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ISSN0003-1232
1936-4784
DOI10.1007/s12108-998-1028-5

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Summary:Comments on Talcott Parsons's "Simmel and Methodological Problems of Formal Sociology" (1998) to explain or evaluate Parsons's claims &/or offer interpretations of Georg Simmel's concepts. Overall, they show an understanding of Simmel's work that differs in many respects from that of Parsons; eg, Shils objects to Parsons's description of Simmel as a general social theorist, stressing that Simmel is as well known for his work on conflict, social consequences of a money economy, & other subjects. Shils also disagrees with Parsons's claim that Max Weber offered "rigorous proof of his theses." However, Shils praises Parsons as the first critic to recognize that Simmel shuts out analytical considerations that are fundamentally important to sociology. J. Lindroth
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ISSN:0003-1232
1936-4784
DOI:10.1007/s12108-998-1028-5