For thousands of years, people of different eras and social structures have been looking for the most correct way to communicate with each other. The best representatives of philosophical and religious thought worked on how to bring universal human relations to harmony. As a result, it turned out that, despite the difference in eras and historical realities, the “golden rules of ethics” remain unchanged in all years. This is determined primarily by their universal character.
Treat people the way you want to be treated
It is this principle, which is the basis of morality and which has become the "golden rule of ethics", in one form or another is preached by all the major world religions of both modern times and bygone times. Back in the 5th century BC, this ethical rule was formulated in the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata. In a later period of history, it was reflected in the Old Testament, and then was witnessed by the evangelists Matthew and Luke as the words spoken by Jesus Christ.
This seemingly simple rule is often hard to follow. The reason lies in our natural humanweaknesses, forcing us to be guided primarily by our own interests and neglect the interests of others. Selfishness, inherent to one degree or another in every person, does not allow him, neglecting his own benefit, to make efforts to make it good for another. The answer to the question: “How do I understand the golden rule of ethics and what does it mean to me?” often becomes decisive in shaping a person as a person.
Concepts of norms of behavior among the ancient Sumerians
Based on the general principles of human relations, throughout its history, humanity has developed its own golden rules of ethics. One of the first such attempts can be observed among the ancient Sumerians who inhabited Mesopotamia. According to the written monuments of that era that have come down to us, the observance of moral standards by the inhabitants of the state was vigilantly monitored by the sun god Utu and the goddess of justice Nanshe.
Annually, she judged people, mercilessly punishing those who, following the path of vice, committed arbitrariness, evaded the implementation of rules and agreements, and also sowed enmity between people. The angry goddess got it to all sorts of crooks who deceive gullible buyers in the markets, and to those who, having sinned, did not find the strength to confess their deeds.
Etiquette in the Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages, the first manuals appeared, in which the basics of people's behavior in relation to civil and church authorities, as well as to households, were formulated. By this time, a certain standard of behavior had been developed in certain situations. The rules he stipulated were called etiquette.
The ability to behave in society, observing etiquette, largely depended not only on the successful career of a courtier, but sometimes his very life. Similar rules, which strictly regulated all aspects of communication between people, were required to be followed even by monarchs. It was not an ethics of conduct in the sense we have taken. At their courts, etiquette took the form of a kind of ritual and was intended to ex alt the most august persons and consolidate the class division of society. Etiquette dictated literally everything, from the shape and size of shoe buckles to the rules for receiving guests.
Etiquette rules in Eastern countries
There are many cases when non-compliance with the rules of etiquette caused the disruption of important diplomatic missions, and sometimes led to the outbreak of wars. They were most meticulously observed in the countries of the East, and especially in China. There were the most complicated ceremonies of greeting and tea drinking, which often put foreigners in an extremely awkward position. In particular, Dutch merchants, who established trade relations with Japan and China at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, faced this.
Contracts for the exchange of goods and permission to trade were achieved by them through the implementation of numerous and sometimes humiliating etiquette prescriptions. It is known, for example, that the director of the Dutch trading post, together with his employees, was forced to regularly come with gifts to the reigning person, called the shogun. It was believed that in this way they expressed their loy alty and devotion.
As in Eastern countries, so in the courts of European monarchsthe requirements of etiquette were so complex that specially trained people appeared to monitor their observance - masters of ceremonies. It should be noted that this science was not taught to everyone, but only to aristocrats. The ability to behave in accordance with all the rules of etiquette was considered a sign of social superiority and an important feature that separated the privileged strata of society from the rude common people.
Old Russian printed collections of rules of conduct
In Russia, the ethical principles of behavior were first fully set forth in the famous "Domostroy" - the immortal creation of Archpriest Sylvester. In the 16th century, he made an attempt to formulate the basic rules of behavior, which included not only instructions on what to do, but also explaining how to achieve the best result.
Very much in it echoes the biblical Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai. Includes Domostroy and advice not to do to another what you do not wish for yourself. This is by no means accidental, because the "golden rules of ethics" are the foundation on which all ethical principles are based.
The next step in establishing the norms of social behavior in Russia was the set of rules published during the time of Peter the Great, known as "An honest mirror of youth …". It included detailed explanations of how to behave in a variety of life circumstances. Its pages explained what was decent and what was not in society, at home, at work, and so on. There were specific instructions forthe permissibility or inadmissibility of certain actions when communicating with other people, during a conversation, at a table or on the street. In this book, the Golden Rules of Ethics have been laid out for specific situations.
Damage from formalism in following ethical standards
It is important to note that, assimilating certain norms of behavior that are certainly necessary in everyday life, a person is in danger, blindly fulfilling the instructions laid down in them, falling into a very undesirable extreme - hypocrisy and a tendency to evaluate the merits of people around them not according to them. human qualities, but only in apparent respectability.
In former times, among the metropolitan aristocracy, there was a fashion to adhere to a lifestyle called the French expression "comme il faut". His followers, indifferent to their inner content, the ethics of behavior was reduced only to strict observance of the established high-society norms, concerning, mainly, external paraphernalia - clothing, hairstyles, manners of bearing and speaking. A vivid illustration of this from Russian literature is the image of Eugene Onegin in the early period of his life.
Rules of behavior in common people
All official treatises concerning the norms of behavior were aimed exclusively at representatives of the privileged classes and in no way concerned the peasants and artisans. Their ethics of relations was regulated mainly by religious precepts, and their attitude towards a person was determined by his business qualities and hard work.
An important place in the life of ordinary people was given to honoring the father of the family. According to unwritten, but strictly enforced laws, the sons were supposed to take off their hats in his presence, it was forbidden to be the first to sit down at the table and start eating. All attempts to contradict the head of the house were subjected to special condemnation.
Women and girls were required to be physically and morally clean, capable of childbearing, able to manage the household and at the same time remain cheerful, thrifty and patient. The beatings that often fell to them from their husbands were considered not a humiliation of dignity, but “science”. Wives caught in adultery were severely punished as a warning to others, but, as a rule, they were not expelled from the family so as not to deprive children of maternal care.
Laws beyond time
Over time, the way of human life has changed, giving way to new forms due to social and technological progress. In accordance with this, many rules of conduct, which were purely formal, and limited by time and class boundaries, went into the past. At the same time, the "golden rules of ethics" remained unchanged. Having overcome the temporary barrier, they have firmly taken their place in our life today. We are not talking about the fact that some new types of the “golden rule” have appeared, it’s just that, along with the previous ones, its modern forms have emerged.
The need for comprehensive education
Even without taking into account the observance of others by any specific rules of behavior, it is not difficultto single out among them cultural people, with whom there is a desire to continue communication, and ill-mannered people, repelling themselves with undisguised rudeness and rudeness. This testifies to their low internal culture, which cannot develop without the purposeful development of its external forms. Each person has certain desires, emotions and impulses in the depths of his soul. However, only a well-mannered person will not allow them to express themselves in public.
This determines the need to teach every person, and young people in particular, those rules of conduct that will not allow, as the outstanding Soviet teacher V. A. breath . The lack of elementary education, which is based on culture and ethics, can do a very bad service even to a talented and wonderful person in his own way.
Needless to say, everyone wants kindness, attention, and sympathy. Wishing to receive them from others, many people nevertheless remain stingy with their manifestation. Offended by someone else's rudeness, they do not hesitate to show it at every opportunity. It would seem that the elementary foundations of ethics, dictated by life itself, should teach a person to answer a smile with a smile, give way to a woman, or be able to maintain a friendly tone during an argument, but this happens very rarely. Therefore, good manners and culture of behavior are, as a rule, not a natural gift, but the result of upbringing.
Appearance is the key to a profitable impression
It is important to note thisdetail: among the factors that form the overall picture of our communication with others, there can be no trifles. Therefore, it is extremely erroneous to believe that appearance plays a secondary role in this matter. This also follows from the conclusion of many psychologists who argue that most people tend to evaluate our strengths and weaknesses, guided by appearance, since it is largely a characteristic of the internal content. Here it is appropriate to recall the biblical wisdom that says: “The Spirit creates a form for itself.”
Of course, over time, when people get the opportunity to get to know each other more thoroughly, their opinion about each other, which was based on purely external perception, can either be confirmed or reversed, but in any case, its formation it starts with the appearance, which is made up of a number of details.
In addition to neatness, charm and physical beauty, attention is drawn to the ability of a person to dress according to his age and in accordance with fashion. It would be wrong to underestimate its role in the life of society, because fashion is nothing more than one of the standards of human behavior, albeit sometimes having a very short-term form. It is formed spontaneously under the influence of currently prevailing moods and tastes in society, but its influence on people's behavior is undeniable.
In addition to the reasonable following of fashion, a person who wants to make a favorable impression on others must take care of the proper condition of his ownbody. This should be understood as the observance of the rules of personal hygiene and exercise, which will not only improve the appearance, but also cause a sense of self-confidence. The connection between satisfaction with one's own appearance and confidence both in solving personal issues and in professional activities has been repeatedly proven. For a more complete self-realization, it should take into account the need to comply with purely professional ethical standards.
Business and work ethics
Under service ethics it is customary to understand the whole set of norms of behavior of a person engaged in a particular activity. It consists of a number of general and particular components. It includes professional solidarity, sometimes acquiring the form of corporatism, the concept of duty and honor, as well as the consciousness of responsibility imposed by one activity or another. Also, work ethics determines the norms of relations between managers and subordinates, the culture of official communication within the team and the behavior of its members in the event of certain emergency situations and conflicts.
Under business ethics it is customary today to understand the totality of business laws, sometimes not legally formalized, but generally accepted in business circles. It is they who often determine the order and style of work, partnerships and the circulation of documentation. The ethics of modern business is a set of norms developed over a long historical period under the influence of the cultures of various peoples and their ethnic characteristics.
