Money is something we all use every single day. We earn it, spend it, save it, and worry about it. But have you ever stopped to think about what money actually does to our lives, our thinking, and our relationships?
In his famous work The Philosophy of Money, sociologist and philosopher Georg Simmel looks beyond coins and currency. He explains how money quietly shapes modern life in ways we rarely notice.
Money Is Not Just an Object, It Is a Relationship
Simmel says money has no real value on its own. Its power comes from exchange. When we exchange things using money, value becomes impersonal. Instead of asking, “Do I need this?” we ask, “How much does it cost?”
Over time, money becomes a universal language. Everything gets compared, measured, and judged through price. This makes life efficient, but it also makes it less personal.
How Money Changes Human Freedom
One surprising idea in the book is that money actually increases freedom. When we pay someone in money, we are free from personal obligation. We don’t owe loyalty or long-term commitment, just payment.
But this freedom comes at a cost. Relationships become more formal and distant. Human connections slowly turn into transactions. We deal with roles, not people.
Money as a Tool That Becomes the Goal
Originally, money was meant to be a means to an end. We earned it to live better lives. But Simmel warns that in modern society, money often becomes the final goal.
People stop asking why they want money and focus only on how much. This leads to stress, greed, and constant comparison. The more money moves, the faster life feels.
The Blasé Attitude of Modern Life
Living in a money-driven world changes our emotions. Simmel describes something called the blasé attitude. When everything has a price, nothing feels special anymore.
Big cities, fast transactions, and constant exposure to money dull our reactions. We protect ourselves emotionally by becoming indifferent.
Money and Culture: Growth with a Gap
Simmel makes a powerful observation about culture. While material culture (technology, wealth, systems) keeps growing, personal culture (inner growth, meaning, creativity) often lags behind.
We create powerful systems, but those systems start controlling us. Money becomes efficient, but life feels rushed and fragmented.
Money gives us freedom, speed, and opportunity. But it also creates distance, pressure, and emotional emptiness if we are not careful.
Final Thought
Money itself is not good or bad. It is a mirror of how society works. Simmel’s message is simple but powerful: understand money, or it will quietly control your life.
When we become aware of how money shapes our thinking, we regain the ability to choose what truly matters.
