From a psychological point of view the “choice by the individual of habits of conduct that are for the good of the group” involves three considerations:  First, the elements implied in such conduct; second, the stages of development; third, the laws governing this development.  First, moral conduct involves the use of habits, but these must be rational habits, so it involves the power to think and judge in order to choose.  But thinking that shall result in the choice of habits that are for the well-being of the group must use knowledge.  The individual must have facts and standards at his disposal by means of which he may evaluate the possible lines of action presented.  Further, an individual may know intellectually what is right and moral and yet not care.  The interest, the emotional appeal, may be lacking, hence he must have ideals to which he has given his allegiance, which will force him to put into practice what his knowledge tells him is right.  And then, having decided what is for the social good and having the desire to carry it out, the moral man must be able to put it into execution.  He must have the “will power.”  Morality, then, is an extremely complex matter, involving all the powers of the human being, intellectual, emotional, and volitional—­involving the cooeperation of heredity and environment.  It is evident that conduct that is at so high a level, involving experience, powers of judgment, and control, cannot be characteristic of the immature individual, but must come after years of growth, if at all.  Therefore we find stages of development towards moral conduct.

The first stage of development, which lasts up into the pre-adolescent years, is the non-moral stage.  The time when a child may conform outwardly to moral law, but only as a result of blind habit—­not as a result of rational choice.  It is then that the little child conforms to his environment, reflecting the characters of the people by whom he is surrounded.  Right to him means what those about him approve and what brings him satisfaction.  If stealing and lying meet with approval from the people about him, they are right to him.  To steal and be caught is wrong to the average child of the streets, because that brings punishment and annoyance.  He has no standards of judging other than the example of others and his own satisfaction and annoyance.  The non-moral period, then, is characterized by the formation of habits—­which outwardly conform to moral law, or are contrary to it, according as his environment directs.

The need to form habits that do conform, that are for the social good, is evident.  By having many habits of this kind formed in early childhood, truthfulness, consideration for others, respect for poverty, promptness, regularity, taking responsibility, and so on, the dice are weighted in favor of the continuation of such conduct when reason controls.  The child has then only to enlarge his view, build up his principles in accord with conduct already in operation—­he