The metropolis reduces individuals to negligible cogs in an objective culture

Evidence

In any case this overgrowth of objective culture has been less and less satisfactory for the individual. Perhaps less conscious than in practical activity and in the obscure complex of feelings which flow from him, he is reduced to a negligible quantity. He becomes a single cog as over against the vast overwhelming organization of things and forces which gradually take out of his hands everything connected with progress, spirituality and value. The operation of these forces results in the transformation of the latter from a subjective form into one of purely objective existence. It need only be pointed out that the metropolis is the proper arena for this type of culture which has outgrown every personal element. Here in buildings and in educational institutions, in the wonders and comforts of space-conquering technique, in the formations of social life and in the concrete institutions of the State is to be found such a tremendous richness of crystallizing, depersonalized cultural accomplishments that the personality can, so to speak, scarcely maintain itself in the face of it. — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 760

Categorization

• XREF: Feeds the essay argument that civil inattention and blasé detachment are the psychic response to being a ‘cog’; connects to Julius’s unmoored witness. — connects to: Overwhelming objective culture forces individuals to exaggerate their peculiarities — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 760; Individual receptive capacity is finite while objective culture grows infinitely — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 33; Subjective and objective culture necessarily oppose each other — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 84 (+4 more)

Related

• Individual receptive capacity is finite while objective culture grows infinitely (similarity 0.87)
• Overwhelming objective culture forces individuals to exaggerate their peculiarities (similarity 0.87)
• Objective and subjective culture are distinct measurable phenomena (similarity 0.84)
• Individual mental distinctiveness emerges only from contact with objective culture. (similarity 0.83)
• Subjective and objective culture necessarily oppose each other (similarity 0.83)
• Objective culture grows far faster than subjective individual culture (similarity 0.81)
• Objective and subjective culture grow by fundamentally different logics (similarity 0.81)
• Objective culture alienates the individual’s accomplishments into impersonal form. (similarity 0.80)
• The camps aim to eliminate spontaneity and reduce persons to things (similarity 0.80)
• Extreme individualist critiques flourish precisely because cities breed them (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Overwhelming objective culture forces individuals to exaggerate their peculiarities #expands (0.80) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 760
• Subjective and objective culture necessarily oppose each other #expands (0.70) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 84
• Objective culture grows far faster than subjective individual culture #expands (0.70) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 760
• Individual receptive capacity is finite while objective culture grows infinitely #corroborates (0.60) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 33
• Individual mental distinctiveness emerges only from contact with objective culture. #qualifies (0.60) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 654
• Objective and subjective culture are distinct measurable phenomena #corroborates (0.50) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 564