Class, Status, Party

Abstract

The social order and the economic order are, of course, similarly related to the &s;legal order.&s; However, the social and the economic order are not identical. The economic order is for people merely the way in which economic goods and services are distributed and used. The social order is of course conditioned by the economic order to a high degree. Now, &s;classes,&s; &s;status groups,&s; and &s;parties&s; are phenomena of the distribution of power within a community. Since it is quite a general phenomenon one must mention here that the class antagonisms that are conditioned through the market situation are usually most bitter between those who actually and directly participate as opponents in price wars. But status honor need not necessarily be linked with a &s;class situation.&s; On the contrary, it normally stands in sharp opposition to the pretensions of sheer property. &s;Property&s; and &s;lack of property&s; are, therefore, the basic categories of all class situations.