Some of Simmel’s reflections that may have eluded many scholars, particularly those who only consider him a sociologist, are his thoughts on death and immortality. “In 1919,” said Levine, “Heidegger gave a public lecture acknowledging Simmel’s important ideas about time and death and historicity and being. Then in 1927, Being and Time came out, and there’s no mention of Simmel, except for one disparaging footnote.” Levine said Heidegger and later writers took many ideas directly from Simmel, usually without giving him proper credit or even mentioning him as their source.

Ryan Coyne, assistant professor of the philosophy of religions and theology at the Divinity School, will present a paper arguing that, to some extent, Heidegger may not only be derivative of Simmel, but Simmel may also serve as a correction to some problems in Heidegger’s later work.

¶ 4:11 PM