208 THE SOCIAL THEORY OF GEORG SIMMEL 
In the economic world, money fulfils the sociological 
function of correlating the maximum extension of the circle 
with the maximum differentiation of the individual, not 
only with regard to the factual division of labor, but also 
with regard to his formal freedom and autonomy. It 
changes the small, homogeneous, self-contained circle of 
the natural economy into a group which manifests both 
extension and differentiation. 
In political developments, the same constellation is 
found in a great many different forms. It occurred in the 
field of agrarian policy when, after the abolishment of col- 
lective ownership, the commons became partly public 
domain, partly private property. It occurred in the field 
of internal politics when, after the abolishment of the semi- 
public corporation, its functions were taken over partly 
by the state, partly by private associations. 
Further illustrations of the correlation may be cited 
from the domain of law. The absolutism of the Roman 
state had a correlate in a certain absolutism of the individ- 
ual. There was a jus privatum next to the jus publicum. 
There were norms for the all-inclusive totality, but also 
for the individuals whom it included. There existed a law 
for the larger community on the one hand and for the in- 
dividual on the other hand, but not for the intermediate 
group. The old Roman law did not recognize the corpora- 
tion as a subject of special law. In medieval Europe, on 
the other hand, there was no distinction between private 
and public law. But the communities of that period were 
not large inclusive unities like the Roman Empire, but 
small social circles which arose out of the needs and inter- 
ests of individuals. There was no necessity for a separation 
of public and private law, because the individual was more 
intimately bound up in the community and expressed his 
individuality in his community life.