The Absolute and the Relative in Lukács and Simmel

<p>Builds on the author’s earlier Hegelian critique of Lukács’s philosophy of praxis by construing a conceptual dialogue between Lukács and his one-time mentor, Georg Simmel. It is argued that Lukács’s philosophy in the 1920s was partially formed as a metacritique of Simmel’s absolute relativism, as expressed in <em>The Philosophy of Money</em>. However, Lukács’s alternative generates a conceptual mythology that can be diagnosed in Simmelian terms and sublated by the philosophy of life outlined in <em>The View of Life</em>. By situating it in the present, this may de-reify Lukács’s concept of praxis, allowing it to satisfy its ethical and rational duty. </p>