Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 8.djvu/195

 NUMBER AS DETERMINING FORM OF GROUP 183

reality not always separable, that the third instigates the differ- ence intentionally, in order to gain a controlling situation. It is also to be premised in this case that the triple number is, as a matter of course, only the minimum number of the elements requisite for this formation, and consequently it may serve as the most simple scheme. The essential fact here in question is that two elements are opposed to a third, and in this opposition they are either combined with each other or dependent upon e; ch other, and that the third is able to set in motion against each other the two powers which are combined against him. The conse- quence is, then, that they either hold the balance against each other, so that he, undisturbed by the two, may follow his advantage, or that they reciprocally so weaken each other that neither of them can withstand the superior power of the third. I proceed to characterize a few steps of the scale in which one may arrange the phenomena here in question. The most simple occurs when a superior power prevents the uniting of elements which do not positively attempt to form such a union, but still might perhaps make such an attempt. Here belong first of all the legal prohibitions of political combinations, both of such combinations in general, and of unions between societies which are individually permitted. In this case there may be present as a rule no distinct fear, no determinable endangering of the ruling powers by such combinations. But the form of unifica- tion as such is feared, because it might possibly result in its appro- priation of a dangerous content. The experience that revolu- tionary tendencies or movements, aimed toward modification of the existing order, take the form of unification of as many inter- ested parties as possible, grows to the logically false but psycho- logically very intelligible inversion that all combinations have a tendency aimed against existing authorities. The prohibition is therefore based, as it were, upon a possibility of the second power : not only are the combinations forbidden from the start merely possible, and frequently do not have so much as an existence in the wish of the persons so held apart, but also the dangers on account of which the prohibition issues may have been, even if the combinations had been realized, only possible