98 THE SOCIAL THEORY OF GEORG SIMMEL 
This significance of leadership for the group unity, although 
manifest in all associations, is most clearly visible, however, 
in political groups. History has shown innumerable in- 
stances where the death of the common superior resulted 
in a complete disruption of the political unity of the 
group. 
The relationship between the group elements and the 
leader is usually a combination of submission and oppo- 
sition. Human nature seems to be so constituted that it 
requires both elements in its social relationships. The in- 
dividual seems to seek, on the one hand, a superior power 
which will relieve him of part of his responsibility and pro- 
tect him, not only against others, but even against him- 
self; yet, on the other hand, he seems to feel a necessity for 
placing himself in opposition to this same power. Opposi- 
tion and submission seem in the last analysis to be only 
different aspects of relationships which are fundamentally 
of a unified character. Every subordination shows both 
aspects. 
This process of unification of the group elements result- 
ing from a common subordination appears in two different 
forms. The first might be indicated by the word “level- 
ing,” the second by the word “gradation.” In the first in- 
stance the group elements are all on a common level with 
regard to the superior. In the second instance the group 
consists of series of different layers decreasing in size, but 
increasing in significance. 
The correlation between despotism and equality has 
long been recognized. On the one hand. perfect equality 
leads easily to despotism, because a slight variation is suf- 
ficient to give an individual a position of superiority to all. 
On the other hand, the despot has an immediate advantage 
in keeping his subjects on a common level. He will there- 
by prevent other superiority-inferiority relations between