138 THE SOCIAL THEORY OF GEORG SIMMEL

more immediate normative influence than the law and the
mores, and it requires no contribution and support from
the group to make it effective. Hence the tendency of
society to urge moral perfection and to appeal to the conscience
 of the individual. A conscience that works effectively
 has this advantage for society, that the individual
gives himself the reward for his adequate social behavior
which would otherwise have to be guaranteed to him in
one form or another by either custom or law.
The mores are the characteristic form of norm for the
small group. Formerly they were the sole regulator of social
 life; today they function in conjunction with morality
and law. Nearly all mores are class mores, that is, norms
for small social circles. Non-conformity is punished by social
 disapproval and by the immediate reactions of those
observing it. The sphere of the mores is therefore the small
circle in which the immediate reciprocities between individuals
 still form the main basis of the social union.
In large groups these immediate reciprocities become
less important and are in some cases entirely absent. The
large group can therefore not rely on the mores to guarantee
 an adequate social behavior on the part of individuals.
It must create on the one hand definitely fixed and clearly
defined objective standards, and on the other hand special
organs whose task it is to see that these standards are complied
 with. For the state this means the formulation of statute
 law and the creation of a judiciary and a police force.
The mores regulate a large part of the individual’s existence,
 but their function is limited to a small social circle
and their sanction is not always sufficient. The law regulates
 a small part of the individual’s existence, but its function
 extends over a large social circle and its sanction is
guaranteed by severe and forceful restraint. Morality regulates
 the whole of the individual’s existence, but it has