The idea Vorstellung that those communities which are already present in the circles referred to above can be split up again into a collection of individuals as soon as they enter the sphere ofpolitics ie the sphere of the highest concrete universality involves separating civil and political life from each other and leaves political life hanging, so to speak, in the air; for its basis is then merely the abstract individuality of arbitrary will and opinion, and is thus grounded only on contingency rather than on a foundation which is stable and legitimate berechtigt in and for itself.