▁sort " ▁are ▁normal , ▁natural , ▁necessary ▁and ▁in ev itable ▁in ▁civil ized ▁society ▁( or ▁given ▁a ▁certain ▁population ▁density ). ▁whether ▁there ▁can ▁be ▁objective ▁tests ▁of ▁character ▁mask s ▁as ▁a ▁scientific ▁concept , ▁or ▁whether ▁they ▁are ▁a ▁po lem ical , ▁part isan ▁character ization . ▁the ▁extent ▁to ▁which ▁the ▁device ▁of ▁" character ▁mask s " ▁is ▁only ▁an ▁abstra ction ▁or ▁a ▁met ap hor , ▁or ▁whether ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁valid ▁empir ical ▁description ▁of ▁aspects ▁of ▁real ▁human ▁behaviour ▁in ▁capital ist ▁society . ▁what ▁is ▁specific ▁about ▁the ▁character ▁mask s ▁of ▁capital ist ▁society , ▁and ▁how ▁this ▁should ▁be ▁explained . ▁whether ▁the ▁" mask s " ▁of ▁a ▁social ▁system ▁are ▁in ▁any ▁way ▁the ▁same ▁as ▁the ▁mask s ▁of ▁individuals . ▁to ▁what ▁extent ▁people ▁are ▁telling ▁a ▁story ▁about ▁the ▁world , ▁or ▁whether ▁they ▁are ▁really ▁telling ▁a ▁story ▁about ▁themselves , ▁given ▁that ▁the ▁mask ▁may ▁not ▁be ▁ade qu ate ▁and ▁other ▁people ▁can ▁" see ▁through ▁it " ▁anyway . ▁whether ▁Marx ' s ▁idea ▁of ▁character ▁mask s ▁contains ▁an ▁eth noc ent ric ▁or ▁gender ▁bias . ▁ ▁German ▁soci ologist ▁Uri ▁R app ▁the or ized ▁that ▁Char akter mas ke ▁was ▁not ▁the ▁same ▁as ▁" role "; ▁rather ▁Char akter mas ke ▁was ▁a ▁role ▁forced ▁on ▁people , ▁in ▁a ▁way ▁that ▁they ▁could ▁not ▁really ▁escape ▁from ▁it , ▁i . e .