What is morality. Morality and moral standards

Morality is one of the ways to regulate the behavior of people in society. It is a system of principles and norms that determine the nature of relations between people in accordance with the concepts of good and evil, fair and unfair, worthy and unworthy accepted in a given society. Moral functions:

Cognitive - teaches people to see the actions of other individuals in terms of moral values.

Educational - participates in the formation of the human personality, its self-consciousness. Morality contributes to the formation of views on the purpose and meaning of life, a person's awareness of his dignity, duty to other people and society.

Value-oriented - morality allows you to highlight certain guidelines for each individual. This function gives a person ideas about his purpose and meaning of life. An individual will not think about it daily, but in difficult times, the thought “why do I live?” flashes through everyone’s head. And the value-oriented function allows you to find the answer to the question.

Regulatory - directs and corrects the practical activity of a person in terms of taking into account the interests of other people, society.

The structure of morality includes:

Moral norms are social norms that regulate a person's behavior in society, his attitude towards other people, towards society and towards himself.

Moral principles are one of the forms of expressing moral requirements, in the most general form revealing the content of morality that exists in a particular society.

Moral ideals are the concepts of moral consciousness, in which the moral requirements imposed on people are expressed in the form of an image of a morally perfect personality, an idea of ​​a person who embodies the highest moral qualities.

2. Morality and law.

Moral norms are formed in society on the basis of ideas about good and evil, honor, conscience, justice. They acquire mandatory significance as they are recognized and recognized by the majority of members of society. Norms of morality are not fixed in special acts. They are in the minds of people. Moral norms act as the most generalized rules of behavior (be kind, fair, honest). Legal norms are detailed, in comparison with moral norms, rules of conduct. They establish clearly defined legal rights and obligations of participants in public relations. The rules of law established by the state, after coming into force, immediately become binding on all persons within their scope. In turn, legal norms are expressed in official state acts (laws, decrees). The norms of law and norms of morality in the overwhelming majority of cases are observed voluntarily on the basis of people's natural understanding of the justice of their prescriptions. The implementation of both norms is ensured by internal conviction, as well as by means of public opinion. Moral norms cover almost all areas of human relations, including the legal sphere. Law affects only the most important spheres of public life, regulating only public relations controlled by the state. Law and morality serve the same purpose - to harmonize the interests of the individual and society, to ensure and maintain public order. The implementation and enforcement of legal norms are largely determined by the extent to which they correspond to moral norms. In order for legal norms to operate effectively, they must at least not contradict the moral values ​​of society. In some cases, law helps to rid society of obsolete moral norms.

The structure and functions of morality. 2.3. Morality and law.

The concept of morality.

TOPIC 2. CONCEPT AND ESSENCE OF MORALITY

Morality (from the Latin "moralis" - moral; "mores" - morals) is one of the ways of normative regulation of human behavior, a special form of social consciousness and a type of social relations. There are a number of definitions of morality, in which one or another of its essential properties is highlighted.

Morality is one of the ways to regulate the behavior of people in society. It is a system of principles and norms that determine the nature of relations between people in accordance with the concepts of good and evil, fair and unfair, worthy and unworthy accepted in a given society. Compliance with

morality is provided by the power of spiritual influence, public opinion, inner conviction, human conscience.

A feature of morality is that it regulates the behavior and consciousness of people in all spheres of life (production activities, everyday life, family, interpersonal and other relationships). The moral also extends to intergroup and interstate relations. .

Moral principles are of universal importance, they cover all people, they fix the foundations of the culture of their relationships, created in the long process of the historical development of society.

Any act, human behavior can have a variety of meanings (legal, political, aesthetic, etc.), but its moral side, moral content is evaluated on a single scale. Moral norms are daily reproduced in society by the force of tradition, by the power of a universally recognized and supported by all discipline, by public opinion. Their implementation is controlled by all.

Responsibility in morality has a spiritual, ideal character (condemnation or approval of actions), acts in the form of moral assessments that a person must realize, internally accept and, accordingly, direct and correct his actions and behavior. Such an assessment must comply with the general principles and norms accepted by all concepts of what is proper and improper, worthy and unworthy, etc.

Morality depends on the conditions of human existence, the essential needs of a person, but is determined by the level of social and individual consciousness. Along with other forms of regulation of people's behavior in society, morality serves to harmonize the activities of many individuals, turning it into an aggregate mass activity subject to certain social laws.

2.2. The structure and functions of morality. Exploring the question of the functions of morality, they distinguish

− regulatory,

− educational, − cognitive,

- evaluative-imperative, - orienting,

− motivational,

− communicative, − prognostic

and some of its other functions4.

4Arkhangelsky L. M. A course of lectures on Marxist-Leninist ethics. M., 1974. pp.37-46.

Of primary interest to lawyers are such functions of morality as regulatory and educational. Regulatory function is considered the leading function of morality. Morality directs and corrects the practical activity of a person in terms of taking into account the interests of other people, society. At the same time, the active influence of morality on social relations is carried out through individual behavior.

The educational function of morality is that it participates in the formation of the human personality, its self-consciousness. Morality contributes to the formation of views on the purpose and meaning of life, a person's awareness of his dignity, duty to other people and society, the need to respect the rights, personality, dignity of others. This function is usually characterized as humanistic. It influences the regulatory and other functions of morality.

As mentioned above, morality acts as a regulator of social relations, the subjects of which are both individual individuals and society as a whole. In the process of these social relations, the self-regulation of the moral behavior of the individual and the moral self-regulation of the social environment as a whole take place. Morality regulates almost all spheres of human life. By regulating human behavior, morality makes maximum demands on him. In addition, the regulatory function of morality is carried out based on the authority of public opinion and on the moral convictions of a person (although both society and the individual may be wrong).

Morality is considered both as a special form of social consciousness, and as a type of social relations, and as norms of behavior operating in society that regulate human activity - moral activity.

Moral consciousness is one of the elements of morality, representing its ideal, subjective side. Moral consciousness prescribes certain behavior and actions to people as their duty. Moral consciousness evaluates various phenomena of social reality (an act, its motives, behavior, lifestyle, etc.) from the point of view of compliance with moral requirements. This assessment is expressed in approval or condemnation, praise or blame, sympathy and hostility, love and dislike. Moral consciousness is a form of social consciousness and at the same time the area of ​​individual consciousness of a person. In the latter, an important place is occupied by a person's self-esteem, associated with moral feelings (conscience, pride, shame, repentance, etc.).

Morality cannot be reduced to consciousness alone.

Opposing identification

moral (moral)

morality and moral

consciousness, M. S. Strogovich wrote: “Moral consciousness is

views, beliefs, ideas about good and evil, about worthy and unworthy behavior, and morality is the social

nal norms governing the actions, behavior of people, their relationship "5

Moral relations arise between people in the course of their activity, which has a moral character. They differ in content, form, method of social connection between subjects. Their content is determined by in relation to whom and what moral duties a person bears (to society as a whole; to people united by one profession; to a team; to family members, etc.), but in all cases a person ultimately account turns out to be in the system of moral relations both to society as a whole and to oneself as its member. In moral relations, a person acts both as a subject and as an object of moral activity. So, since he has obligations to other people, he himself is a subject in relation to society, a social group, etc., but at the same time he is an object of moral obligations for others, since they must protect his interests, take care of him, etc.

Moral activity is the objective side of morality. We can talk about moral activity when an act, behavior, their motives can be assessed from the standpoint of distinguishing between good and evil, worthy and unworthy, etc. The primary element of moral activity is an act (or misconduct), since it embodies moral goals, motives or orientation. An act includes: motive, intention, purpose, act, consequences of an act. The moral consequences of an act are its self-assessment by a person and assessment by others.

The totality of a person's actions that have moral significance, performed by him in a relatively long period in constant or changing conditions, is commonly called behavior. Human behavior is the only objective indicator of his moral qualities, moral character.

Moral activity characterizes only actions that are morally motivated and purposeful. Decisive here are the motives that guide a person, their specific moral motives: the desire to do good, to realize a sense of duty, to achieve a certain ideal, etc.

In the structure of morality, it is customary to distinguish between the elements that form it. Morality includes moral norms, moral principles, moral ideals, moral criteria, etc.

Moral norms are social norms that regulate a person's behavior in society, his attitude towards other people, towards society and towards himself. Their implementation is ensured by the power of public

5 Problems of Judicial Ethics / Ed. M.S. Strogovich. M., 1974. S. 7.

opinions, inner convictions based on the ideas of good and evil, justice and injustice, virtue and vice, proper and condemned in a given society.

Moral norms determine the content of behavior, how it is customary to act in a certain situation, that is, the morals inherent in a given society, social group. They differ from other norms that operate in society and perform regulatory functions (economic, political, legal, aesthetic) in the way they regulate people's actions. Morals are daily reproduced in the life of society by the force of tradition, the authority and power of a generally recognized and supported by all discipline, public opinion, the conviction of members of society about proper behavior under certain conditions.

Unlike simple customs and habits, when people act in the same way in similar situations (birthday celebrations, weddings, seeing off to the army, various rituals, the habit of certain labor actions, etc.), moral norms are not just fulfilled due to the established generally accepted order, but they find an ideological justification in a person’s ideas about proper or improper behavior, both in general and in a specific life situation.

The basis for the formulation of moral norms as reasonable, expedient and approved rules of behavior are based on real principles, ideals, concepts of good and evil, etc., operating in society.

The fulfillment of moral norms is ensured by the authority and strength of public opinion, the consciousness of the subject about worthy or unworthy, moral or immoral, which also determines the nature of moral sanctions.

The moral norm, in principle, is designed for voluntary execution. But its violation entails moral sanctions, consisting in a negative assessment and condemnation of human behavior, in a directed spiritual influence. They mean a moral prohibition to commit such acts in the future, addressed both to a specific person and to everyone around. The moral sanction reinforces the moral requirements contained in moral norms and principles.

Violation of moral standards may entail, in addition to moral sanctions, sanctions of a different kind (disciplinary or provided for by the norms of public organizations). For example, if a soldier lied to his commander, then this dishonorable act, in accordance with its severity, on the basis of military regulations, will be followed by an appropriate reaction.

Moral norms can be expressed both in a negative, prohibitive form (for example, the Laws of Moses - the Ten Commandments,

formulated in the Bible), and in a positive way (be honest, help your neighbor, respect your elders, take care of honor from a young age, etc.).

Moral principles - one of the forms of expression of moral requirements, in the most general form, revealing the content of morality that exists in a particular society. They express the fundamental requirements regarding the moral essence of a person, the nature of relationships between people, determine the general direction of human activity and underlie private, specific norms of behavior. In this regard, they serve as criteria of morality.

If the moral norm prescribes what specific actions a person should perform, how to behave in typical situations, then the moral principle gives a person a general direction of activity.

Moral principles include such general principles of morality as

− humanism - recognition of a person as the highest value; − altruism - disinterested service to one's neighbor;

- mercy - compassionate and active love, expressed in readiness to help everyone in need of something;

- collectivism - a conscious desire to promote the common good;

- rejection of individualism - the opposition of the individual to society, any sociality, and egoism - preferences for one's own

ny interests to the interests of all others.

In addition to the principles that characterize the essence of that morality, there are so-called formal

or other principles

related already to the ways of fulfilling moral requirements. Such, for example, are consciousness and its opposite formalism, fetishism, fatalism, fanaticism, dogmatism. Principles of this kind do not determine the content of specific norms of behavior, but also characterize a certain morality, showing how consciously moral requirements are met.

Moral ideals are the concepts of moral consciousness, in which the moral requirements imposed on people are expressed in the form of an image of a morally perfect personality, an idea of ​​a person who embodies the highest moral qualities.

The moral ideal was understood differently at different times, in different societies and teachings. If Aristotle saw a moral ideal in a person who considers the highest virtue to be self-sufficient, detached from the worries and anxieties of practical activity, the contemplation of truth, then Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) characterized the moral ideal as a guide for our actions, " divine man within us" with whom we compare ourselves and

we improve, never, however, being able to become on the same level with him. The moral ideal is defined in its own way by various religious teachings, political currents, and philosophers.

The moral ideal accepted by a person indicates the ultimate goal of self-education. The moral ideal accepted by the public moral consciousness determines the purpose of education, affects the content of moral principles and norms.

One can also talk about the public moral ideal as an image of a perfect society built on the requirements of the highest justice, humanism.

"There is no person that would be like an island"
(John Donn)

Society consists of many individuals who are similar in many ways, but also extremely different in their aspirations and views on the world, experience and perception of reality. Morality is what unites us, these are the special rules adopted in the human community and defining a certain general view of the categories of such a plan as good and evil, right and wrong, good and bad.

Morality is defined as the norms of behavior in society, which have been formed over many centuries and serve for the correct development of a person in it. The term itself comes from the Latin word mores, which means the rules accepted in society.

Moral traits

Morality, which in many respects is decisive for the regulation of life in society, has several main features. So, its fundamental requirements for all members of society are the same, regardless of position. They operate even in those situations that are outside the area of ​​responsibility of legal principles and apply to such areas of life as creativity, science, and production.

The norms of public morality, in other words, traditions, are significant in communication between specific individuals and groups of people, allow "to speak the same language." Legal principles are imposed on society, and their failure to comply carries consequences of varying severity. Traditions and moral norms are voluntary, each member of society agrees to them without coercion.

Types of moral standards

Over the centuries, various types have been adopted. So, in primitive society, such a principle as taboo was indisputable. People who were proclaimed as transmitting the will of the gods were strictly regulated as prohibited actions that could threaten the entire society. For their violation, the most severe punishment inevitably followed: death or exile, which in most cases was one and the same. The taboo is still preserved in many Here, as a norm of morality, the examples are as follows: one cannot be on the territory of the temple if a person does not belong to the clergy caste; You can't have children from your relatives.

Custom

The norm of morality is not only generally accepted, as a result of its conclusion by some top, it can also be a custom. It is a repetitive course of action, which is especially important in order to maintain a certain position in society. In Muslim countries, for example, it is traditions that are most honored than other moral norms. Customs based on religious beliefs in Central Asia can cost lives. For us, who are more accustomed to European culture, legislation is an analogue. It has the same effect on us as traditional morality has on Muslims. Examples in this case: a ban on drinking alcohol, closed clothing for women. For our Slavic-European society, the customs are: to bake pancakes for Maslenitsa, to celebrate the New Year with a Christmas tree.

Among the moral norms, tradition is also distinguished - the order of actions and the way of behavior that persists for a long time, passed down from generation to generation. A kind of traditional moral standards, examples. In this case, these include: celebrating the New Year with a Christmas tree and gifts, maybe in a certain place, or going to the bathhouse on New Year's Eve.

moral rules

There are also moral rules - those norms of society that a person consciously determines for himself and adheres to this choice, deciding what is acceptable for him. For such a norm of morality, examples in this case are: to give way to pregnant and elderly people, to give a hand to a woman when leaving a transport, to open a door in front of a woman.

Functions of morality

One of the functions is evaluating. Morality considers the events and actions that take place in society in terms of their usefulness or danger for further development, and then issues its verdict. Various kinds of reality are evaluated in terms of good and evil, forming an environment in which each of its manifestations can be assessed both positively and negatively. With the help of this function, a person can understand his place in the world and form his position.

Equally important is the regulatory function. Morality actively influences the minds of people, often acting better than legal restrictions. From childhood, with the help of education, each member of society forms certain views on what can and cannot be done, and this helps him adjust his behavior in such a way that it is useful for himself and for development in general. Moral norms regulate both the internal views of a person, and hence his behavior, and the interaction between groups of people, allowing you to maintain a routine, stability and culture.

The educational function of morality is expressed in the fact that under its influence a person begins to focus not only on his own needs, but also on the needs of the people around him, society as a whole. The individual develops a consciousness of the value of needs and other members of society, which, in turn, leads to mutual respect. A person enjoys his freedom as long as it does not violate the freedom of other people. similar in different individuals, help them better understand each other and act harmoniously together, positively influencing the development of each of them.

Morality as a result of evolution

The basic moral principles of any time of the existence of society include the need to do good deeds and not cause harm to people, regardless of what position they occupy, what nationality they belong to, what religion they are.

The principles of norm and morality become necessary as soon as individuals enter into interaction. It was the emergence of society that created them. Biologists who focus on the study of evolution say that in nature there is also the principle of mutual utility, which in human society is realized through morality. All animals that live in society are forced to moderate their selfish needs in order to be more adapted to later life.

Many scientists consider morality as the result of the social evolution of human society, being the same natural manifestation. They say that many of the principles of norms and morality, which are fundamental, were formed with the help of natural selection, when only those individuals survived who could interact correctly with others. Thus, examples are given of parental love, which expresses the need to protect offspring from all external dangers in order to ensure the survival of the species, and the prohibition of incest, which protects the population from degeneration through the mixing of too similar genes, which leads to the appearance of weak children.

Humanism as the basic principle of morality

Humanism is the fundamental principle of the norm of public morality. It is understood as the belief that every person has the right to happiness and countless opportunities to realize this right, and that every society should be based on the idea that each of its participants has value and is worthy of protection and freedom. .

The main one can be expressed in the well-known rule: "treat others the way you want to be treated." The other person in this principle is seen as deserving the same benefits as any particular person.

Humanism assumes that society must guarantee basic human rights, such as the inviolability of home and correspondence, freedom of religion and choice of residence, and the prohibition of forced labor. Society must make efforts to support people who, for one reason or another, are limited in their abilities. The ability to accept such people distinguishes human society, which does not live according to the laws of nature with natural selection, dooming the insufficiently strong to death. Humanism also creates opportunities for human happiness, the peak of which is the realization of one's knowledge and skills.

Humanism as a source of universal norms of morality

Humanism in our time draws the attention of society to such universal problems as the proliferation of nuclear weapons, environmental threats, the need for development and a decrease in the level of production. He says that the containment of needs and the involvement of everyone in solving the problems that face the entire society can only happen through an increase in the level of consciousness, the development of spirituality. It forms the universal norms of morality.

Mercy as a basic principle of morality

Mercy is understood as a person's readiness to help people in need, to sympathize with them, perceiving their suffering as their own and wanting to alleviate their suffering. Many religions pay close attention to this moral principle, especially Buddhism and Christianity. In order for a person to be merciful, it is necessary that he does not divide people into "us" and "them", so that he sees "his" in everyone.

Currently, great emphasis is placed on the fact that a person should actively help those who need mercy, and it is important that he not only provides practical assistance, but also be ready to support morally.

Equality as a basic principle of morality

From a moral point of view, equality calls for a person's actions to be evaluated regardless of his social status and wealth, and from a general point of view, for a universal approach to human actions. This kind of state of affairs can only exist in a well-developed society that has reached a certain level in economic and cultural development.

Altruism as the basic principle of morality

This principle of morality can be expressed in the phrase "Love your neighbor as yourself." Altruism assumes that a person is able to do something good for another person for free, that this will not be a favor that must be returned, but a selfless impulse. This moral principle is very important in modern society, when life in big cities alienates people from each other, creates a feeling that caring for one's neighbor without intent is impossible.

morality and law

Law and morality are in close contact, since together they form the rules in society, but they have a number of significant differences. Value and morality reveals their differences.

The rules of law are documented and developed by the state as mandatory rules, for non-compliance with which inevitably follows responsibility. As an assessment, the categories of legal and illegal are used, and this assessment is objective, built on regulatory documents, such as the constitution and various codes.

Moral norms and principles are more flexible and can be perceived differently by different people, and can also depend on the situation. They exist in society in the form of rules that are passed from one person to another and are not documented anywhere. Moral norms are quite subjective, the assessment is expressed through the concepts of "right" and "wrong", their non-compliance in some cases cannot lead to more serious consequences than public censure or simply disapproval. For a person, violation of moral principles can lead to pangs of conscience.

The correlation between the norms of law and morality can be traced in many cases. Thus, the moral principles "do not kill", "do not steal" correspond to the laws prescribed in the Criminal Code, that an attempt on human life and property leads to criminal liability and imprisonment. A conflict of principles is also possible, when a legal violation - for example, euthanasia, which is prohibited in our country, which is considered as killing a person - can be justified by moral convictions - the person himself does not want to live, there is no hope for recovery, the disease causes him unbearable pain.

Thus, the difference between the norms of law and morality is expressed only in legislation.

Conclusion

Moral norms were born in society in the process of evolution, their appearance is not accidental. They were needed earlier to support society and protect it from internal conflicts, and still perform this and other functions, developing and progressing along with society. Moral norms have been and will remain an integral element of a civilized society.

The social system of the 21st century presupposes the existence of a set of certain legal and moral laws that create an indestructible hierarchical system of moral and state standards. Caring parents from childhood explain to their child the difference between good and bad deeds, laying in the offspring the concepts of “Good” and “Evil”. It is not surprising that in the life of every person murder or gluttony is associated with negative phenomena, and nobility and mercy are classified as positive personal qualities. Some moral principles are already present at the subconscious level, other postulates are acquired over time, forming the image of the individual. However, few people think about the importance of cultivating such values ​​in themselves, neglecting their significance. It is impossible to coexist harmoniously with the surrounding world, guided solely by biological instincts - this is a “dangerous” path, which invariably leads to the destruction of the personal image.

Maximum happiness.

This facet of human morality was considered and proved by the utilitarians John Stuart Mill and Jeremiah Bentham, who are engaged in ethics at the US State Institute. This statement is based on the following formulation - the behavior of the individual should lead to an improvement in the lives of those around him. In other words, if you adhere to social standards, then a favorable environment is created in society for the coexistence of each individual.

Justice.

A similar principle was proposed by the American scientist John Rawls, who argued for the need to equalize social laws with internal moral factors. A person occupying the lower step in the hierarchical structure should have equal spiritual rights with a person at the top of the ladder - this is the fundamental aspect of the assertion of a philosopher from the USA.

It is important to think about your own personal qualities in order to engage in self-improvement in advance. If we neglect such a phenomenon, then over time it will develop into betrayal. The variety of changes that cannot be avoided will form an immoral image that is rejected by others. The main thing is to responsibly approach the identification of life principles and the definition of the worldview vector, objectively evaluating your behavioral signs.

Commandments of the Old Testament and modern society

“Dealing with” the question of the meaning of moral principles and morality in human life, in the process of research, you will definitely turn to the Bible to get acquainted with the Ten Commandments from the Old Testament. The cultivation of morality in oneself invariably echoes the statements from the church book:

the events taking place are marked by fate, suggesting the development of moral and moral principles in a person (for all the will of God);
do not elevate the people around you by idealizing idols;
do not mention the name of the Lord in everyday situations, complaining about an unfavorable set of circumstances;
respect the relatives who gave you life;
devote six days to labor activity, and the seventh day to spiritual rest;
do not kill living organisms;
do not commit adultery by cheating on your spouse;
do not take other people's things, becoming a thief;
avoid lying in order to be honest with yourself and those around you;
do not envy strangers about whom you know only public facts.

Some of the above commandments do not meet the social standards of the 21st century, but most of the statements have remained relevant for many centuries. To date, it is advisable to add the following statements to such axioms, reflecting the features of living in developed megacities:

do not be lazy and be energetic to match the fast-paced industrial centers;
achieve personal success and self-improvement without stopping at the achieved goals;
when creating a family, think in advance about the expediency of the union in order to avoid divorce;
limit yourself in sexual intercourse, not forgetting to protect yourself - eliminate the risk of unwanted pregnancy, which results in an abortion.
do not neglect the interests of strangers, walking "over their heads" for personal gain.

Morality is a system of purely conditional rules of behavior in society, based on the prevailing perception of good and evil. Generally speaking, morality is a coordinate system that allows you to direct the actions of people in such a way that the results of their actions bring benefits to all of humanity as a whole. From a psychological point of view, morality is- a deep part of the human psyche, which is responsible for assessing ongoing events, namely for recognizing good and evil. Quite often, the word "morality" is usually replaced by the word "morality".

What is human morality. The concept (definition) of morality in simple words - briefly.

Despite the rather simple essence of the term "morality", there is a huge variety of its definitions. One way or another, almost all of them are true, but perhaps the simplest answer to the question "What is morality?" this statement will be:

Morality is human attempt to determine what is right and wrong in relation to our actions and thoughts. What is good and bad for our existence.

If by and large everything is more or less clear with the term, then the very concept of what is moral and what is immoral causes a lot of controversy. The fact is that the concepts of evil and good are not always absolute and their assessment depends solely on the modern paradigm adopted in society.

For example, in the middle "dark" ages, when society was poorly educated, but very religious, it was a very moral act to burn people suspected of witchcraft. It goes without saying that in the modern era, science and law, this is considered a terrible stupidity and a crime, but no one has canceled the historical facts. And there was also slavery, holy wars, various kinds and other events that were perceived by certain parts of society as something normal. Thanks to such examples, we figured out that morality and its norms are very conditional rules that can change to suit the social order.

Despite the examples cited above and the sad historical experience in evaluating certain events, now we have, in a certain respect, a more or less adequate system of moral values.

Functions of morality and why do people need morality?

Despite the many philosophical and scientific theories, the answer to this question is quite simple. Morality is necessary for people for further prosperous coexistence and development as a species. It is precisely because there are common concepts about what is good and what is bad that our society has not yet been swallowed up by chaos. Thus, we can say that the function of morality is to form general rules of conduct or laws, which in turn maintain order in society.

As an example of a moral principle that is understandable to absolutely everyone, we can cite the so-called Golden Rule of morality.

The golden rule of morality is:

« Don't do to others what you don't want them to do to you.»

There are several interpretations of this principle, but they all convey the same essence.

Norms and examples of morality.

A huge number of aspects can be attributed to the norms and examples of morality, some of them will be highly moral absolutely everywhere, and some will be controversial, taking into account differences in cultural characteristics. Nevertheless, as an example, we will cite precisely those norms of morality that are not in doubt.

Moral standards in society:

• Honesty;
• Bravery;
• Ability to keep one's word;
• Reliability;
• Generosity;
• Restraint (self-control);
• Patience and humility;
• Mercy;
• Justice;
• patience for differences ();
• Self-respect and respect for other people.