The "Fragment" on Simmel [From Draft Chapter XVIII (Structure of Social Action): Georg Simmel and Ferdinand Toennies: Social Relationships and the Elements of Action]

• Published in: The American sociologist 1998-07, Vol.29 (2), p.21-30
• Main Author: Parsons, Talcott
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cultural customs; Economic motivation; Georg Simmel; History; History and organization of sociology; History and present state; History of Sociology; History, theory and methodology; Methodology; Resultants; Simmel, Georg; Social Interaction; Social life; Social Relations; Social sciences; Social Structure; Social structures; Social theories; Social theory; Sociological Theory; Sociologists; Sociology; Theoretical Problems; Waterfalls
• ISSN: 0003-1232; 1936-4784
• DOI: 10.1007/s12108-998-1026-7

Originally intended to be included in Chapter XVIII, 'Georg Simmel and Ferdinand Toennies," of The Structure of Social Action, this "fragment" focuses on Simmel's conception of social form, which he viewed as an abstraction, separate from content, that emerges from processes involving interaction between two or more persons. It is contended that he never developed a systematic theory based on his conception, nor did he address the causal explanations of specific acts. It is assumed that, to Simmel, form refers to the structural aspect of social relationships. Implications of this premise for explanatory theory are examined, especially in relation to the dichotomy of structural aspects of social relationships, which are both epiphenomenal & not, the latter demonstrating existence of some mode of differentiation between the resultant aspect of relationship form & other elements of it. In spite of its limitations, the importance of Simmel's concept is in not restricting attention to any one of the descriptive schemas for stating the facts of human social life. J. Lindroth