Cities and Individualism

Georg Simmel's 1903 work The Metropolis and Mental Life relates the effects of urban living to the development of the individual. He begins by discussing how the majority of recent societal problems have come from the clash between individualism (the human) and collectivism (the city), and discusses the argument that prolonged exposure to city life can hinder development of the individual. 

Simmel goes on to note that "swift and continuous" changes in one's surroundings can lead to changes in one's mood, and that to comprehend this, living in a city requires a mental astuteness which he states leads to intellectualism. He details how intellectualism will lead to rational, as opposed to emotional, thought.  

He then connects rationalism with the importance of money in cities, noting that dense commercial and financial activity and intellectualism are highly connected, to the point where it cannot be determined which one created the other. One thing that is important to consider is that from the late 19^th to the mid 20^th centuries, cities relied heavily on manufacturing for their economies. Those employed by these factories were almost exclusively impoverished, and slums were commonplace. This explains his aversion to money, as he notes that an excess of it can lead to an indifferent attitude, and a lack of it can cause one to care only about obtaining more of it, at the expense of their development as an individual.

Simmel goes on to point out that money and rationalism create arbitrary relationships that do not depend on personal character, rather on goods and services provided by one individual to another. He links this to a shift from making decisions based primarily on emotions to making decisions based primarily on calculations, and that this has resulted in the distillation of life into a mathematical problem waiting to be solved. He sees this as problematic because he thinks it will lead to people being viewed as commodities, rather than as individuals.   

He discusses how impersonality is a necessary trait of urban life, as one would quickly become overwhelmed if they had to form an emotional connection to every person they interacted with throughout the course of a day.

He notes that this particular viewpoint can make one indifferent to life around them, but that this indifference is a way of safeguarding the senses and protecting one's individuality by allowing it to develop in private. He also discusses how specialization of labor can bolster one's individualism, as he states that commercial enterprise and the specialization of labor allow one to create a position within a city that is unique and cannot be replaced or duplicated easily.

Simmel seems to discuss both sides of the issue of cities fostering growth of the individual. He notes that intellectualism and rationalism give money a prominent role in cities, which he claims is contrary to the process of individualism and emotional development. However, he also notes that markets can aid in developing individualism, because they have specific niches waiting to be filled.

I disagree with his first point. I feel that rationalism, intellectualism, and the broad and varying surroundings in cities can contribute to a well-rounded individual. Cities have become meccas of diversity and culture, and being exposed to this can add to one's world views and life experiences. In addition, each city has its own distinct regional culture, which one often directly incorporates into their identity.

However, I agree with his second point about markets. Cities offer a vast array of economic opportunities, and while manufacturing is no longer a viable employment option in most cities, small businesses have come about as an economic force. This allows the individual to seek his own niche in commercial enterprise. In addition, proprietors of these businesses are often members of the creative class, a group which would not exist without the intellectualism of cities.