Description
THE WORLD AS METROPOLIS
Book Summary
This essay analyzes the urban transformation that turned Paris and Berlin into the laboratories of modern capitalism between the 19th and 20th centuries. Leonardo Lippolis explores how utilitarianism and productivism reconfigured social, political, and anthropological life, forging the metropolitan experience we still live today. Through the voices of Simmel, Kracauer, Benjamin, and the artistic avant-gardes, the book unveils the cultural and political resistances that opposed the "progress" imposed by the disciplinary city. An essential work for understanding the origins of global urbanization and its consequences.
What is it about?
The book addresses the historical process that, between the Paris of the second half of the 19th century and the Berlin of the early 20th century, transformed cities into capitalist metropolises. Lippolis examines how the demands of advanced capitalism imposed a utilitarian and productivist dogma that caused a radical mutation in the urban experience. Facing this annihilating discipline, a generation of artists, architects, writers, and avant-garde movements intuited the dangerous consequences and attempted to resist, becoming an active part of a revolutionary movement that experimented with new ideas of art and happiness, even on the barricades.
Main themes
- Genesis of the spirit of the capitalist metropolis and its impact on social and psychological life.
- Analysis of the urban transformations of Paris and Berlin as models of advanced capitalism.
- Cultural and political resistance of artistic and literary avant-gardes against the disciplinary city.
- Relationship between urbanization, productivism, and the anthropological mutation of the modern individual.
- The city as a stage for struggles and the experimentation of new forms of life and happiness.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at readers interested in cultural studies, urban sociology, history of art and architecture, as well as those seeking to understand the roots of the contemporary ecological and social crisis from a critical perspective. It is also recommended for students and professionals in urban planning, philosophy, and social sciences who wish to delve into the relationship between capitalism and urban space.
What this book offers
- A deep understanding of how the modern metropolis shapes our daily experience and our subjectivity.
- A journey through the ideas of key thinkers such as Simmel, Kracauer, and Benjamin, applied to urban analysis.
- The revelation of the artistic and political resistances that challenged the capitalist city model from its inception.
- A historical perspective that connects 19th-century urbanization with the current challenges of globalization.
- A critical reflection on "progress" and its social, cultural, and ecological costs.
Technical specifications
- Author: LIPPOLIS, LEONARDO
- Publisher: Enclave de Libros Ediciones
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: CULTURAL STUDIES
- Collection: TANGENTES
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: October 2023
- Number of pages: 376
- Weight: 300 g
Editorial review
This essay offers a rigorous and well-documented look at the origins of the capitalist metropolis, combining historical, sociological, and artistic analysis. The work stands out for its ability to connect the past with the present, showing how 19th-century urban dynamics remain relevant. Its focus on cultural resistance provides an original and necessary perspective to understand the contradictions of urban progress. Recommended for those seeking a critical and profound reading about the contemporary city.