 The starting point of this investigation is the distinction between societies, communities, and masses (Scheler 1913/16; Stavenhagen 1934; Stein 1922; von Hildebrand 1930; Walther 1923). The distinction between societies and communities has been drawn originally by Ferdinand Tönnies (in his seminal book of 1887) and the introduction of the mass as a different kind of group in the taxonomy should be mainly credited to Scheler, who adopts it from French sociology (see Stavenhagen 1936: 20; Thonhauser forthcoming).