1. Geld als virtuelle Praxis: Georg Simmels Beitrag zu einer semiotischen Werttheorie des “Als-Ob".
- Author
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Grabbe, Lars C.
- Abstract
Georg Simmels transcendental theory of money is closely connected with a sociosemiotic theory of value and the “As-If" as an inherent concept. In this orientation his precise analysis of the condition of the possibility of money is a valid connection of his philosophical and formalsociological theory. Exactly this connection, against the background of a transcendental theory of subjective consciousness, enables him to establish an extensive philosophy of society. His concept of society is a process-related construct of reciprocity and human interaction that develops a systemic-relational “entireness". These “entireness" turns into a real social “unity" if individual meaning, interests and purposes form a mediatised relationship of “togetherness". In this perspective the concept of “soul" is a phenomenon of contact and social diffusion and a frontier incident of the inner world and outside world: more precisely the “soul" is defined as flow of imagination that creates inner representations. That forms the background for the ontology of virtual contingency, which is constructed by the flow of imagination, and designates “soul" as a process-driven element of interactive sociality. In his Philosophy of Money (1900) he develops a semiotic relationship of value, exchange and money to combine it with the concept of an aesthetic condition of the modern individual. He elaborates the symbolic dimension of subjective cognition and a modern form of aesthetics as rational principle of comprehension. Because of the complex correlation of transcendental consciousness and phantasmatic-imaginary cognition the function value of money demonstrates a mental and virtual access to reality, allows the modulation of consciousness by a sublime feeling of superiority and the ownership of money constitutes an aesthetic expansion of subjective existence. The obtainment, ownership or use of money, are elements of a virtual practice that is fully realised by an aesthetic form of consciousness. The main parameter of aesthetic consciousness is the synthesis of active cerebration and creative phantasy. With the concept of phantasmatic-imaginary cognition Simmel develops the “As-If" as the main condition of the possibility of social reality, acceptance and feeling of value and the ontology of contingency in the concept of money. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011