Simmel was not able to accept liberal feminism- males protect females Conflict as Interaction Developed legacy of conflict theory in sociology. Drawing on work of Marx and Hegel, saw conflict in some form as intrinsically and functionally necessary part of social life and not as antisocial. Diversity and change are result of conflict and are not opposed to unity and stability. Comte saw conflict as a threat. Saint-Simon saw it as positive as did Simmel Simmel saw dualism of individual and society as irreconcilable and chronic source of tension and conflict.
Society imposes upon individual.
Individual desires freedom. Individuals need love, hate, fighting, accentuation which lead to conflict. Conflict stabilizes the personality, leads to unity, centralization, insight, social change, democracy. Enlightenment offered idea that human mind was capable of deciphering the phenomenal world direction, and yet still insisted on need to obtain rational knowledge. Asserted autonomy and creativity of reason, stressing interplay of concept and fact.