Moral values and their role in society

Types of values

It is not so easy to classify all the diversity of ideas about correct behavior. The highest moral values are viewed from different angles depending on the environment in which they originated and existed.

When classifying priorities, they usually rely on the sphere of life of society, the bearers of certain views, the mechanism by which they build a hierarchy of spheres of life that are important to them. The three main groups, which include things that are paramount for people, are aspects of the spiritual and material world, as well as the socio-political environment.

What are they needed for

The direction of moral values is determined by upbringing from childhood. They can be formed both positive and negative. Many nations have stereotypical moral principles necessary for building a civilized society, in which public well-being should become more important than personal advantages acquired at the expense of others. Moral principles regulate the thoughtfulness of statements and the evaluation of actions in advance of their commission. They advise taking into account the interests and rights of other people, which not every person actually does. Differences in people's moral values can be so radical that contact can lead to a conflict situation.

Generalized ideas of morality are the concepts of good and evil, which differentiate morality and immorality. By tradition, goodness is associated with benefits for people. Although this concept has a relative meaning, because at different periods of time the benefit is assessed differently. Adherence to common moral traditions and canons, as well as inherent priorities, helps a person lead a harmonious and balanced lifestyle in society. And people whose rules and assessments do not correspond to generally accepted ones are often forced to exist separately, in isolation. An individual who commits unkind, impudent, humiliating acts deserves only disapproval and reproach.

Moral principles allow individuals to:

comfortable to exist in the environment;
to be proud of useful and noble deeds, a clear conscience.

What do people place value on?

Moral values belong to the subjective (spiritual) sphere. This implies recommendatory and evaluative, normative ideas that should normalize the ways of human expression against the background of nature and society. You can believe in true and false ideas.

In essence, a value is only as important as the meaning given to it. Every moral norm has its own function and purpose for its creation. As a rule, this is the regulation of relationships between people.

Culture is of utmost importance. It combines spiritual, material, political and social aspects. By focusing attention on certain things, moral values demonstrate how, by following the right path, you can achieve your own goals, realize your needs and creative potential. In this way, the individual's talents are revealed.

Components of moral principles

Moral values and norms are expressed in moral principles. These include hard work, collectivism, patriotism, humanism, and conscientious fulfillment of public duty. Collectivism obliges a person to be able to correlate his personal interests and the interests of society, teach him to treat his comrades with respect, and build relationships with them on the basis of mutual assistance and friendliness. The principle of patriotism is expressed in respect and love for one’s homeland, pride in the people’s contribution to world culture and their achievements. The principle of hard work is expressed in the recognition of the moral value of work as an area for human self-realization, respect for every type of work that is significant for society.

Thread in time

Moral values are a connection between generations, allowing elders to pass on experience to their heirs, share what they have achieved and push them to further movement and progress. Based on such a foundation, new people create their own priorities and improve existing ones. Moral values, in relation to culture, include an ideal to which it is worth striving, as well as one or another property of a thing that brings it closer to the best state.

It is also worth noting that views can be individual, collective, group, universal, national. Personal moral values are how significant an object, idea or phenomenon is in the eyes of a particular person. It all depends on the level of knowledge, tastes, habits, inclinations, and other personality traits.

Each individual attaches great importance to this aspect of his life, but also largely relies on the opinion of society. Consequently, on the values accepted by a group of people, which he accepts and shares. In order for a team, organization or society to exist harmoniously, they must have that important, reverent attitude towards which they can share.

People whose accents and priorities are set in a similar way usually find a common language much better. In this way, individuals unite towards similar goals.

Moral values and their role in modern society

The current situation is characterized by the fact that the process of globalization is taking place everywhere, the formation of an integral world social system, the destruction of the “old” one, while there is an obvious absence of “new” morality - the moral values of a single humanity. The value structure of society is extremely complex, and its elements influence the dynamics of social development in different ways - either consolidate social processes or revolutionize them.

Morality in public life is one of the ways and means of adapting individuals to life in society and connecting individual freedom with social necessity, as well as responsibility, resolving the contradiction between them. Historically, morality is primary in the process of human socialization. It enters the inner world of a person, and for its functioning, a person’s own power over himself is sufficient. The essence of morality is that people are aware of the need for their behavior, which corresponds to a certain social behavioral type, while they rely on personal beliefs and public opinion.

Morality can be defined as a special form of normative-evaluative orientation of people in society and as the most important form of public will. Feelings of duty, conscience, and honor are formed in society, and through social relations they become the property of a person in the process of socialization and internalization. Morality regulates the behavior and consciousness of people in all spheres of life - economic, political, social and spiritual; it is determined in a certain way by the type of society.

The foundations of morality belong to the era of the tribal social system. This period is characterized by the power of nature, sensory experience, the peculiarity of conceptual thinking and the comprehension of reality in a fantastic way. There are various types of magic, totemism, fetishism, a system of prohibitions, certain rites, rituals, mythology[1]. It is generally accepted that consanguinity was an organizational and normative principle in primitive society.

Primitive thinking was irrational and based on fiction and superstition. In modern language, the mentality of that period can be characterized by such concepts as “collective conscience”, “collective unconscious”. All this is understood as a set of feelings and ideas inherent in all members of a given community. C. Jung described the archaic psyche very interestingly. “The archaic psyche is a collective psyche, a transpersonal soul, quite real and endowed with divine, creative energy, which is incomparable with the “humiliated soul” of modern man”[2]. Community norms of behavior in this society fostered collectivism and solidarity. Here we can talk about mechanical solidarity that exists between people. In primitive society there was neither religious morality nor basic moral standards. They appeared towards the end of the tribal system, towards the period of patriarchy. Then primitive moral norms emerge: a ban on cannibalism and incest, obedience to elders, decent work. These moral norms carried out normative regulation, as if they had been issued by a certain state institution. Although “the moral demands of clan society were ensured not only by public opinion, as well as individual consciousness, but also to a large extent by the activities of clan and tribal institutions (clan councils, tribal meetings, councils of elders)”[3].

New moral standards emerged in a patriarchal society. The role of the man’s authority as the head of the family, wife’s fidelity, the prohibition on lying, and blood feud have strengthened. This period is characterized by the identity of the moral norm with the ordinary norm. The system of prohibitions (taboo) is very important. They are the ones who shape the consciousness and will of individuals. The archaic idea of justice is spreading - talion - the principle of equal retribution, blood feud. This custom is characteristic of “all peoples at the stage of their tribal primitive level of development, which does not allow them to enter into relations of domination and subordination”[4]. Mature communal-tribal relations led to the emergence of a class state, and although this system was based on a communal traditional way of life, it fought with all its might and supplanted it. State institutions appear, they are outside the community and above it, the most ancient codes of laws arise - the laws of Hammurabi, the king of Babylon (II BC), the laws of Manu (I century BC) and others.

I will focus on the laws of Hammurabi. They date back to the era of the early slave system and differ from the religious and ethical norms of the communal patriarchal system. Essentially, this is already a set of property, family and criminal law. The main place is occupied by transactions with property (“buy”, “sell”, “exchange”, etc.) and then actions that violate property rights (“steal”, “rob”, etc.).

Trespassing on private property and theft are prohibited by law and punishable by death[5]. The law defines family relations (marriage and divorce, recognition of paternity, remarriage, etc.). The laws provided for death for theft, for lying, if it was not proven in court. Another punishment was self-mutilation (cutting of ears, fingers, etc.). Conflicts were resolved through talion. Obviously, at that time there were no universal imperatives, no abstract moral values, and there was no individual moral motivation, although many moral norms (prohibitions) of the communal way of life were transferred to the legal code and religious provisions. Class slave-owning morality is different - it is based on the ideas of law.

The process of individualization of the social existence of isolated individuals from the clan community led to a change in consciousness as a form of social regulation. New norms were needed that would affirm the individual as an independent subject of action. And this became the golden rule of morality: act towards others as you would like them to act towards you. The Golden Rule has been mentioned since the 6th–5th centuries. BC e. It is in ancient Indian culture, in the Gospel of Matthew, in the teachings of Confucius: “What you do not want, do not do to others.” The Golden Rule has become widespread since early class society. It exists in the history of ethical thought; it was mainly mentioned as a requirement of everyday morality, and not as an ethical principle.

Morality is humanity, a worthy attitude towards another person, this is the primary, most elementary human attitude that precedes all others.

A qualitative change in European morality and culture occurred in the modern era. It was the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen of 1789 that declared that only the rights and freedoms of another person determine the boundaries of what a person should and should not do. This is not just abstract moral principles or religious fantasies, but a real declaration that a person’s moral duty is to independently build his own life, without violating the rights of others.

The content of human rights and freedoms had very important principles - those that corresponded to universal human moral requirements. These are the principles of human freedom, non-violence, personal self-determination, non-interference in private life, inviolability of private property, tolerance and others. In the works of T. Hobbes, J. Locke, J. J. Rousseau, they were discussed and proclaimed the highest moral standards, although during this period people’s subjective ideas about good, evil, justice, etc. began to be distinguished. Thus, the principle of freedom of conscience and religion is endowed with the property of objectivity and universality and is considered as a reflection of the natural order of things. The basis of moral relations in a democratic society is the equality of people.

For I. Kant, it is freedom and equality that are the defining features of the content of the categorical imperative: “Act in such a way that you always treat a person, both in your own person and in the person of anyone else, in the same way as a goal, and never treat him only as a means"[6].

Significant changes in morality and ethics are taking place in capitalist society, especially at the present stage of its development. If in pre-capitalist societies morality plays a vital role in the formation of man, then capitalism with its market relations, thirst for profit and wealth is characterized by moral decline, is immoral and dehumanized.

K. Marx and F. Engels very accurately and colorfully characterized capitalism: “The bourgeoisie, wherever it has achieved dominance, has destroyed all feudal, patriarchal, idyllic relations. She mercilessly tore off the motley feudal shackles that tied man to his “natural overlords,” and left no other connection between people except bare interest, heartless “purity” [7].

The unbridled desire for profit turns into greed and leads to the deformation of human relations and human goals in a capitalist society. This situation leads to a breakdown of ties between people, leads to isolation and individualism, immorality and crime, to a deepening of the split between rich and poor in different countries.

In pursuit of profit, transnational corporations in poor countries hold back modernization, do not comply with safety regulations, use child labor, and ignore the social problems of the countries where they make profits. The main thing for entrepreneurs is to gain wealth and succeed in competition. For this they sacrifice morality, and only legal law regulates business relations. But these legal laws often lag behind life, and entrepreneurs act at their own discretion, although moral norms, which are unwritten, react to practical problems faster than legal laws, but they are not taken into account by entrepreneurs.

It is safe to say that modern capitalist society tends to erode moral values and dehumanize people.

The spiritual essence of morality is manifested in a certain orientation of a person and social groups of society towards specific moral values and norms. And from here follow the corresponding actions and behavior of people. The peculiarity of moral norms is that they are not enshrined in state institutions and are not state norms, like legal ones. They are carried out because this is a person’s internal image of himself, and the assessment of this behavior by others is approval or condemnation. Without morality, the life of society is impossible.

There are many ways to justify morality. I will note just a few: utilitarianism, absolutism, naturalism, cosmism.

Utilitarianism assumes that moral values are distinguished from external social goods. Moral activity is justified if it leads to the happiness of people. The prerequisite for the emergence of this theory was early capitalism with its development of productive forces and the rise of consumption to a higher level.

Absolutist concepts are derived from an authoritative external source, such as God. Thus, I. Kant in the “Critique of Practical Reason” writes about God and the immortality of the soul. He accepts them as postulates for the implementation of moral actions, although the main, reliable and only criterion for Kant remains reason.

Naturalism involves deriving morality from the natural qualities of an individual - from the organizational features of the human psyche, or from the basic instincts that are inherent in all living organisms.

The representative of evolutionist ethics was P. A. Kropotkin. He believed that moral norms, such as justice, arise as a borrowing from the experience of animals. Primitive man, dependent on nature, saw the behavior of animals that do not kill each other, but provide support, and did the same.

For cosmism it is obvious that the evolution of morality is connected with the development of the cosmos. The influence of cosmic forces contributes to the manifestation of human spirituality and morality.

All these concepts do not provide a clear answer to the rationale for the emergence of morality and its understanding as the public will and the core of man. Although, probably, as a result of a very long historical practice, along with the formation of social needs in the process of activity and the preservation of the integrity of human existence, moral values are also formed. People follow them, and for them these values currently appear not as prohibitions, but as a matter of course.

Almost always, the prescriptions of moral norms are expressed in the imperative mood: “do not kill,” “live your life unnoticed,” etc. Moral norms are also characterized by the fact that they require certain behavior, and do not simply convince or teach to act in a certain way. We can talk about individual moral norms, for example, the ethics of a doctor, or about universal norms that apply to every person. These can be categorical norms that always apply (the norms of Christian morality), or norms that must be followed by people in certain situations.

What is the source of moral standards? They can be customs, traditions and even authority, that is, the person himself (Socrates, Jesus Christ, Mohammed, etc.). Material, objective conditions are also sources of morality if they gave rise to moral norms. Ethics emphasizes that moral norms have objective meaning, that is, they do not depend on arbitrariness or objective opinion. On the other hand, the requirements and prescriptions contained in moral norms are biased by their nature. They were, after all, an expression of the will of certain social groups or of God in religious ethics, and even personal motives could be the source of the norm.

We can say that a norm at first looks like an external one, like a prescription for a person, but it becomes moral only when this prescription is realized by a person and becomes his internal, his subjective necessity, his will.

In their objective essence, moral norms are a specific form of coordination of human freedom and will with general needs, interests, with the will and interests of other communities, other subjects. These can be classes, groups, social strata, etc. They are relative, but at the same time, moral norms are expressed in a universal form. Every moral norm passes the test of universality, I. Kant argued.

Specifically, moral norms appear as typical standards of behavior of people in a certain environment, and they change in the process of historical development. Moral norms exist not only in moral consciousness, they are objectified in actions, moral qualities of a person, moral positions and relationships of people.

Human behavior is primarily motivated by natural and social needs and the specific circumstances of the individual. Socio-natural reality is the beginning of human behavior. But there is another reality - morality, moral necessity. It acts as certain restrictions for a person, carried out either at his own will or at the will of the collective (in primitive society.)

If we summarize the features of moral norms, they come down to the following. Moral standards always encourage goodness. They are the result of good will, independently accepted by a person. The choice of moral norms is not determined by their usefulness, but on the contrary, norms guide a person and help him set or choose goals. The norms dictate certain prohibitions, but at the same time they oblige people to live together. And finally, a person sets moral standards for himself and follows them.

It is obvious that the community of people establishes moral standards and, as a rule, fulfills them themselves. It is absolutely true that morality is a social principle in man; it binds people together before all other connections[8].

Moral values include good, evil, love, justice, duty, responsibility, conscience, shame, etc. All of them have different purposes in the language of morality and fix different aspects of morality. Thus, goodness is focused on the value-normative aspect of the content of morality, and conscience and shame indicate spiritual and psychological mechanisms and methods that regulate the behavior of an individual. Conscience occupies a special place in the system of moral values.

Morality is not a set of ready-made rules that fit every occasion. A person has something that dictates him to act “according to his conscience” in a certain situation. Imposing sanctions on oneself is conscience. But probably not every person has this moral basis. Therefore, say, a heroic act may not happen (throwing into the fire and saving a child) if there is no “should” requirement within oneself.

Conscience in the “New Philosophical Encyclopedia” is defined “as a person’s ability, critically assessing himself, to realize and experience his inconsistency with what he should have - failure to fulfill his duty”[9].

The higher the measure of social development of an individual, his social activity, the greater the role conscience plays in his life.

Conscience is a special spiritual ability of a person, a special mechanism responsible for maintaining moral qualities and human behavior. Quite rightly, conscience is considered the core of a person, and its absence leads to collapse, deforms relationships between people, leads to the destruction of the entire system of moral values, a spiritual crisis.

In the 21st century In connection with globalization, proposals are made to build a moral system of world coexistence of all states, to establish a new world order, which proclaims the idea of “globalization humanism”, “primary globalization of morality”, norms of behavior, and ideals. We are talking about a kind of social conscience, to which everyone should be involved[10].

Such arguments about a unified new morality are absurd. Over its long history, humanity has developed moral values and universal human norms. If you follow them, if you identify them with everyone, and do not destroy them, do not alienate them from a person, as is happening today in post-industrial society, then you can free the individual from the shackles of immorality.

It can be argued that a person is such to the extent that he has a moral principle. Is it possible to teach moral values and norms? There are no teachers of morality, since it is not a specialized form of activity. However, the church is successfully doing this. It is quite obvious that modern Russian society needs moral education, because the moral standards of people's behavior have sharply decreased.

Of course, a person can be taught moral values and standards. He cannot help but live a meaningful life. After all, no one can give meaning to a person’s life except himself. Therefore, when setting the direction of his life, an individual takes into account the intellectual and practical experience of the people around him, as well as moral experience, and only the person himself is responsible for what he has chosen.

All properties, qualities, characteristics set by public moral education only give results when they pass “through” the person himself and are developed by him in the process of individual and social development.

[1] Analysis of archaic culture and morality is contained in the works of famous authors: Zolotarev AM Tribal system and primitive mythology. – M., 1964; Lévi-Strauss K. Primitive thinking. – M., 1994, etc.

[2] See: Jung K. Archaic man / K. Jung // Problems of the soul of our time. – M., 1994.

[3] Valeev D. Zh. Origin of morality. – Saratov, 1981. – P. 138.

[4] Guseinov A. A. Social nature of morality. – M., 1974. – P. 64–65.

[5] Reader on the history of the Ancient East / ed. M. A. Korostovtseva. – M., 1980.

[6] Kant I. Works: in 6 volumes – volume 4. – part 1. – M., 1965. – P. 270.

[7] Marx K., Engels F. Manifesto of the Communist Party / K. Marx, F. Engels // Op. – vol. 4. – P. 426.

[8] See: Ethics: textbook / under general. ed. A. A. Guseinova, E. L. Dubko. – M.: Gardariki, 1999. – P. 383–391.

[9] New philosophical encyclopedia: in 4 volumes / ed. V. S. Stepina, A. A. Guseinova and others - M.: Mysl, 2010. - P. 585.

[10] See: Kazmin A.K. Philosophical problems of the concept of human evolution // Bulletin of the Russian Federal District. – 2004. – No. 3. – P. 104–105.

Unity of peoples

On the scale of nations and humanity, in a general sense, significance is also attached to certain objects. The whole society decides what is of paramount importance to it. A value-normative system is being drawn up. Society develops, its individual members interact with each other. If ideals and interests are similar, then the interaction is fruitful, favorable and effective. The people must have one goal and priorities in social and political life. Mechanisms for achieving common goals are collectively developed.

As a rule, great importance is given to social justice, civic duty, the richness of spiritual life, human dignity, and material well-being. Ideally, people care about what is happening in the world around them: whether resources are being used correctly, whether policies are being pursued wisely, whether wars are being fought, the state of the economy.

Features of the formation of a system of life values

The system of life values of each person begins to form from the first years of his life, but it is finally formed only upon reaching a responsible age, i.e. by about 18-20 years, although even after that it may change in some ways. The process of its formation itself takes place according to a certain algorithm.

Schematically, this algorithm can be expressed as follows:

Aspiration > Ideal
Aspiration > Goal > Ideal
Aspiration > Values > Purpose > Ideal
Aspiration > Means > Values > Goal > Ideal

However, subsequently, between all these points, another one appears - ethics, as a result of which the whole scheme takes on the following form:

Striving > Ethics > Means > Ethics > Values > Ethics > Goal > Ethics > Ideal

From this it turns out that first of all, the ideal and the very desire for this ideal arise. An ideal, which can also be called an image, if there is no desire for it, is no longer such.

At the first stage, which is most often instinctive, the ideal is neutral from an ethical point of view, i.e. it cannot be assessed in any way, and it can be formed in the form of a sensory-emotional substance, the content of which is quite difficult to determine. The meaning that is attached to the ideal is formed only at the stage of transformation into a goal. And only after this, reaching the third stage, values are formed that serve as resources, conditions and rules for achieving the goal that leads to the ideal. And the entire algorithm ultimately ends with the so-called inventory of the necessary and available means to achieve the goal.

Each element of the presented algorithm is extremely important, but you need to pay attention to the fact that the ideal, goal and means are formed and selected under the influence of not only needs, but also ethical norms, which seem to “filter” all stages of the algorithm. At the same time, ethical standards may exist in the human mind, as well as in the mass consciousness, representing the results of the action of previous algorithms, and therefore be perceived as “existing objectively.” In addition, they can also be formed as new ones, being conditioned by a newly emerged ideal and the corresponding algorithm.

The life of any person, as we have already mentioned, from childhood begins to obey this algorithm, and it does not matter what it concerns: the choice of a future profession, a loved one, political or religious views and actions performed. And here “ideals” play a special role, regardless of whether they exist in a person’s consciousness or in his subconscious.

To summarize, we can say that a person’s system of life values is a fairly stable structure, despite the fact that it is subject to changes, both small and global. And a person’s awareness of his system of life values is the first step towards understanding his life purpose.

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Key words:1Self-knowledge

What is important and priority today

In the modern world, universal human values must have increased priority. There is a special hierarchy that arranges life values into three steps. The decisive factor is the role played by one or another aspect in social life. Values of secondary importance are noted. That is, without them, society could survive and function.

A separate group is elements of everyday life of the spiritual and material plane. They are needed in order to properly satisfy the needs of man of the most diverse kinds in the course of his existence. Thus, so that he has the opportunity to lead a prosperous life and continuously develop.

The third group is higher order values. This category includes those needs that form the foundation of relationships and the circulation of resources in society.

Moral choice is responsibility. Moral choice (8th grade)

Moral standards provide an example of correct behavior. However, there is no reason to claim that a person always behaves correctly. He can be kind, generous, merciful, honest, noble, etc. But he is also capable of meanness, lies, betrayal, immeasurable cruelty, etc. Believers have a wonderful word for this case - sin. Everything that a person has done against morality, any evil, is a sin, they say. Instead of the program that is laid down by natural evolution, man is given freedom of choice in his actions - between good and evil, moral and immoral. This is a great gift that no other living creature possesses. A person himself always decides what to do: to observe or not to observe moral standards. When a person thinks about what choice he should make, this is a choice of action or, more precisely, a moral choice - when a person not only internally chooses his moral (good or evil) attitude, but also acts in accordance with his choice. We can say this: moral choice is the choice of one’s attitude (good or evil) towards other people.

Higher Order Priorities

The highest values are those that have a character characteristic of all humanity. The focus here is on peace, social order, freedom, friendship, trust, work, creativity, life, honesty, kindness, love, family ties, creativity, knowledge of truth, health, courage and fidelity. Patriotism is of great importance, which is an essential condition for people’s desire to defend their homeland and bear the duty of a warrior.

All of the above, as a rule, becomes the result of the prevailing traditions in a particular community. The more extensive the set of tasks that people solve together becomes, the higher they value duty and responsibility. Discipline and the ability to be responsible for one’s words and actions are of great importance today. Labor, high-quality performance of one’s duties, and the benefits brought to the world in which a person lives play a big role. When a person is not involved in work, he cannot organically develop and improve. Performing certain tasks has a huge social role. Education takes place, endowing the working people with a common consciousness.

Definition

Morality can be considered as an internal regulator of human behavior. It is assumed that the individual is independently aware of his moral duty. At the same time, she is guided by generalized principles of morality. And neither mass habits nor authoritative examples can influence the individual’s sense of responsibility for neglecting them. In this case, conscience comes to the fore. A person’s moral values allow him to formulate his moral obligations to loved ones, to society, to himself, to take responsibility for his vision of good, evil, the meaning of life, a sense of duty, and justice.

That is, morality is one of the ways to regulate the behavior of people in society. This is a system of norms and principles that determine the nature of relationships between people in accordance with what concepts of good and evil, fair and unworthy, are accepted in this society. The main function of morality is regulatory. Moral norms and values guide and correct human activity by taking into account the opinions of society. The auxiliary function of this concept is to participate in the formation of human personality and self-awareness. Morality contributes to the emergence and consolidation of a person’s views on the meaning of life, responsibility to society, the need for respect for the individual and the dignity of other people. Behavior and actions are assessed by moral consciousness from the point of view of compliance with morality. Evaluation can be expressed in approval, censure, sympathy.

The moral values of society are special in that they regulate the consciousness and behavior of people in all spheres of life: in everyday life, in the family, in production activities, in interpersonal relationships. We encounter them every day. Moral principles embrace all people, consolidate the basis of culture, relationships created in the process of development of society.

The value of labor

It is through the work done that a person can realize himself and do better. A people is civilized to the extent that it respects and loves work. At the same time, the individual must feel the importance of what he does, benefit himself and other people, while using his best sides and being creatively realized.

The realization that your talents and abilities are applicable to the world around you and are in demand makes a person harmonious and happy.

Society is constantly changing, and along with it, the values by which it lives change. Sometimes it’s hard to decide what is more important and paramount, you have to be torn. Each person must decide for himself what exactly is important to him, set priorities, then it will be easier to set goals and take steps towards their implementation.

Meaning of life

As for the meaning of life, it is determined by the characteristics of human existence and the individual attitude towards death. Awareness of one's own finitude gives a person a reason to think about the meaning of life and the transience of existence. The loss of the meaning of life becomes the greatest problem for the individual.

The search for the meaning of life is a promising task for all scientific knowledge, but over the course of history, two diametrically opposed points of view have developed on this issue.

The immanent tradition believes that earthly life has value and many aspects of it are very attractive. At the same time, the task of the individual is the active use of his time to become familiar with morality.

The transcendental tradition assumes that earthly life has no independent value, since it is not perfect, is arranged unfairly, and is unsuitable for the realization of true values.

Moral knowledge and practical behavior (8th grade)

Unlike state laws, there is no official punishment for violating moral standards. What can ensure compliance with moral standards? The simplest solution at first glance is to take moral norms and turn them into state laws. Simple, but unwise for several reasons. Firstly, is it possible to fit concepts such as “compassion”, “honor”, “conscience” into legal norms? And secondly, even if this were possible, would everyone who would fulfill such norms really begin to do so quite sincerely? Or will they rather portray highly moral people, thereby increasing hypocrisy and lies? There is a point of view that violations of moral standards, and crimes in general, are the result of property inequality. Proponents of this position argue: for morality to triumph, it is necessary to create a system in which the needs of all people will be fully satisfied. At the same time, the causes of crime will disappear. But there will always be people who strive for power and self-affirmation, while wanting to achieve what they want at any cost. Unfortunately, there are no legislative, social or other guarantees of morality. There is only one guarantee - it is in each individual person, in his ability to act morally .