Myśl ponad granicami: interdyscyplinarność i innowacyjność twórczości Georga Simmla

Abstract

Georg Simmel is an excellent example of a “total intellectual”, in other words, according to Pierre Bourdieu, a thinker who crosses the boundaries between disciplines and fields of scholarship, or who transfers knowledge between various fields of activity. Simmel freely combined sociology, philosophy, economics, fine art studies, literary studies, and so forth. On the one hand, this attitude lay the foundation for his exceptionally innovative analyses and led to the establishment of new paths of thought. On the other hand, it was met with strong criticism from contemporary intellectuals. Simmel thought “beyond borders” not only in conducting his analyses but also in choosing the language in which to present them. His preferred form of expression was an essay in which he would use many rhetorical devices specific to literary language. Both the nature of Simmel’s analyses and the innovative way in which he presented them contributed to the fact that his works have continued to this day to inspire intellectuals in many different fields of the social sciences and humanities. In this article, the author explores the phenomenon, focusing on both Simmel’s thinking “beyond borders” and contemporary ways of interpreting those ideas.