Abstract
In this interview, the young Finn sociologist Olli Pyyhtinen, author of an important and recent book on Georg Simmel (Simmel and "the social" ), explains what he believes to be central in Simmel's sociology and thinking, as well as some of its limitations and challenges for contemporary sociology. His perspective highlights Simmel's radical relationism. He also discusses the problem of the gift, as proposed by Mauss and others, and the dynamics that at the same time establishes and denies it. Finally, he indicates some elements of his current research on garbage as an index of abundance in contemporary society and its relation to the distribution of wealth in the world.
Keywords:
Simmel; Relationship; Gift; Sociology; Anthropology