"No man is like an island"
(John Donne)
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 determines 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, production.
Norms of publicmorals, 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
Throughout the centuries, moral norms have taken many forms. 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. Taboo is still preserved in many traditional societies. Here, as a norm of morality, the examples are as follows: one cannot be on the territory of the temple if the person does not belong to the clergy caste; you cannot have children from your relatives.
Custom
The norm of morality is not only generally accepted, as a result of its withdrawal 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 sameinfluence on us, as Muslims, the traditional norms of morality. 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: give way to pregnant and elderly people, give a hand to a woman when leaving a transport, open the 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 importantthe regulatory function is also important. 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 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. Moral ideals, similar in different individuals, help them to better understand each other and work 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 harm people, regardless of what position they occupy, what nationality they belong to, followers of what religion they are.
Principles of norm and morality are becomingnecessary as soon as individuals interact. 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 view morality as a 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. For example, 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 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 in order 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..
Main ideahumanism 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 suggests that society must guarantee basic human rights, such as the right to life, 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 to develop waste-free technologies and reduce production levels. 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 the basic principle of morality
Under mercy understand the readiness of a person to helpto people in need, to sympathize with them, perceiving their suffering as our own and wishing 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 have a division of 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 the point of view of morality, equality calls for a person's actions to be evaluated regardless of his social status and we alth, and from a general point of view, that the approach to human actions be universal. 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 moral principle 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 forneighbor 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. The ratio of the norms of law and morality makes it possible to identify their differences.
The rules of law are documented and developed by the state as binding rules, for non-compliance with which inevitably follows responsibility. The categories of legal and illegal are used as an assessment, 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 ratio of 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. Possible conflictprinciples, 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.
