In the phenomenological tradition the problem of wholes looms large. Grossmann (1931-2010), a disciple of Gustav Bergmann and later professor at Indiana University Bloomington continues that tradition. He is also influenced by G.E.Moore and Russell. His final ontology is particularly close to that of the phenomenologist Meinong. Gestalt psychology, Grossmann explains, originates from phenomenological ontology. C.v. Ehrenfels, the founder of Gestalt psychology, was a student of Meinong. Grossmann’s ontology starts from Russell’s logical atomism but in the course of its development increasingly adopts and adapts Meinongian views. A case in point is Grossmann’s category of structures which is related to Meinongian complexes. However, they resemble also the structures of abstract algebra in consisting of a domain and relations which hold in the domain. Grossmann talks correspondingly of the proper parts and the characteristic relations of a structure. In contrast to abstract algebra his characteristic relations are not sets of ordered ntuples but relational universals. Since they have constituents or parts structures are complexes. Classes (or sets) are another category of complexes in Grossmann's ontology. Classes do not have characteristic relations …

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