A modern worldview cannot exist without such concepts as ethics and aesthetics. However, in order to understand the differences between these terms, it is generally worthwhile to understand many nuances. In particular, with the definition of the word "aesthetics". What is this concept, and how do the two sciences differ from each other?
What is ethics?
Ethics is a system of knowledge that allows people to distinguish good from evil, beautiful from the ugly. That is, it is a science of beauty. This knowledge is unique, because it helps to make the right decisions. The system can be reduced to social norms and moral concepts, which should be based on throughout life. Ethics represents such concepts as honesty, generosity, generosity, stinginess, revenge and many others.
Connection with philosophical doctrine
Ethics and aesthetics have a close connection with philosophy. The study of ethics began the famous ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. The term owes its appearance to the Greek word ethos - "ethos", which means "customs", "morals". The well-known speaker and thinker Cicero, who is a prominent representative of the era of Ancient Rome, translated the word into Latin, as a result of which it was found that ethos is the correspondence of mores, as well as derivatives of the words moralitas - "morality", moralis - "moral".
Three basic concepts
In Russian, there are also such terms as morality, moral. It is now generally accepted that the words “ethics”, “morality” and “morality” are synonyms. Despite this, people representing Russian philosophy distinguish three terms, the meanings of which are very similar.
What is the difference?
So what is the difference? By ethics it is customary to mean science, which allows one to obtain knowledge in order to distinguish evil from noble good, dazzling and beautiful from the depressingly ugly, and by morality, consciousness and behavior, which are studied. Ethics, which is the science of morality, is to some extent an element of morality itself. What difference can be noted? Ethics includes universal principles that are unchanged, and morality - specific rules (postulates) through which the general principles of the individual and society are fully implemented, but with the possibility of their change.
Ethics must exist in a person from childhood
The 21st century gave society such a concept as bioethics, which is organically linked to the ethics of family and gender. After all, a full-fledged society is directly determined by a healthy, beautiful relationship between a man and a woman. A prosperous family invests in the fragile minds and souls of children those values ​​that subsequently become key to the moral, physical and mental health of the whole society. Everyone should receive knowledge about ethics and master it from early childhood. Only in this case, in society, can consent be maintained, order. In addition, each child must understand what norms and moral concepts should be remembered in any situation.
Right life
Ethics of a moral personality is purely individual, absolute and not regulated. The ethics of society, on the contrary, was created for the prosperity of society, is relational and clearly regulated. That is why a moral person is not able to meekly and submissively submit to the dominant ethics of society, she is in an inexorable polemic with her. She constantly protests against her, believing much lower in level. And as a result, antagonism inevitably arises between them due to different approaches to the concept of humanity. Ethics of a society is not able to respect humanity, and ethics of a moral personality are vice versa. After all, humanity is considered a sacrifice of oneself in order to achieve a common goal. A person striving to live correctly must ethically evaluate both his behavior and the actions of all other people. Representations of good and evil, beautiful and ugly, decent and indecent should help evaluate the multifaceted inner and outer world. This approach will allow you to understand what kind of behavior and style you need to adhere to throughout your life. The English philosopher George Edward Moore is convinced that ethics allows you to make decisions, make choices. Based on the principles of ethics and morality, you can live in harmony with yourself.
What is aesthetics?
Aesthetics - what is it? It represents the science of sensory knowledge of the world, comprehension and creation of beauty, is able to express itself in various images of art. Categories "aesthetic" and "beautiful" are closest to each other. This is because the beautiful is an ideal, in accordance with which other aesthetic phenomena can be considered. Thus, the beautiful becomes a special measure.
Positive and negative sides
It should be noted that in modern theory it is customary to distinguish both positive categories and their antipodes, for example:
- beautiful - ugly;
- wonderful - terrible;
- the sublime - the base.
This aspect of scientific research is based on the fact that the allocation of a positive value of quality always assumes the existence of the opposite.
Concept history
The term "subject of aesthetics" appeared in the middle of the XVIII century. The concept was introduced into scientific use thanks to the philosopher Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten from Germany. It should be noted that the term owes its origin to the Greek word aisthetikos, which can be translated as "sentient." Baumgarten was able to find a special position in the scientific world, as a result of which a new independent discipline, close to philosophy, appeared - aesthetics. That this was a real breakthrough cannot be denied.
The development of aesthetics
How did this happen? The subject of aesthetics has been enriched from the very beginning. In the ancient period, philosophers considered the general issues of the nature of beauty and art. In the Middle Ages, people tried to know God. In the Renaissance, aesthetic thought began to actively develop in the field of artistic practice, but at the same time, a close relationship with nature was noticeable. At the beginning of the New Age, science became the basis of the norms of art, including the aesthetics of literature. In the Enlightenment, aesthetics allowed us to begin to evaluate various works of art in terms of their social role. It was at that time that the authors tried to present works that possessed special cognitive and moral significance, and allowed people to improve themselves.
The opinion of philosophers about aesthetics
Immanuel Kant, one of the most famous philosophers, believed that the philosophy of aesthetics allows you to study the beautiful in art, which is its subject. However, the study of objects of beauty is not carried out. According to the views of Immanuel Kant, aesthetics (what kind of science is described above) considers various judgments about the beautiful, and therefore provides a basis for criticizing various works of art in order to establish their relevance to these categories and determine the level of cognitive, moral significance. The philosopher Georg Hegel noted that aesthetics is part of philosophy, but it was created to study different areas of art, as a result of which science allows us to determine what place each piece of art occupies in the system of past, present and future generations of people.
Ethics and aesthetics for self-improvement and cognition of the surrounding world
Subsequently, the subject narrowed to a theoretical justification, which allows to determine the direction in art, to analyze the features of the artistic style of the work. All this is aesthetics. Nobody could think that this would become one of the school subjects in the future.
Marxists designated it as a special science of nature, which makes it possible to evaluate the laws of its development. At the same time, aesthetics in art was perceived as the artistic culture of world society.
Russian philosopher Alexei Fedorovich Losev considered the subject of science as a special world of expressive forms, which is created both by man and by nature. He was sure that one should study not only the beautiful, but also other aesthetic categories, among which ugly, comic, exalted, vile, terrible, i.e. there are not only aesthetics and art, but also complete opposites. Losev substantiated this view by the fact that aesthetics is a science that allows one to study the peculiarities of perception of different expressive forms of the surrounding world and find opportunities for the manifestation of creative talents. Based on this meaning, the concept of art form can be considered as a synonym for a work of art.
Modern aesthetics
Currently, the subject of aesthetics is still moving and volatile, in connection with which many scientists will continue to search for an answer. However, this concept is very popular, as it is used in almost all areas of life. For example, quite often you can hear “body aesthetics” or “business aesthetics”, etc.
Science should be considered in the light of such a fundamental category as “aesthetic”. It should be noted that it is a comprehensive universal concept in relation to many things.
Features of ethical and aesthetic development of the world
Ethical development of the world allows us to improve the moral of every person, to better understand the true state of affairs and to actively strive to create an ideal world. Each person begins to understand ideals, develop his own taste, perceive the moral principles and moral standards of different nations, evaluate the actions of his friends. Ethical knowledge allows you to understand all the moral norms and principles of morality, which adheres to society, as well as to realize the particular worldview of each people.
Mastering the world
Aesthetic exploration of the world is possible only if there is an interest in the subject of cognition or an orientation towards holistic perception. Art allows you to form, and subsequently regulate, the mechanism for appropriating socio-historical experience. The perception of a work of art contributes to self-improvement and a change in the worldview based on personal feelings and the sociocultural nature of aesthetic knowledge. Understanding the aesthetic wealth of the world allows you to learn all the features of the artistic method, which is an analogue of the work.
Ethical and aesthetic knowledge of the world is the best way of self-improvement. The popular expression of the famous British writer Oscar Wilde says: "Aesthetics is a cut above ethics!" It turns out that the creator claims that it is beauty above, that is, more important than good. Is he right? Or not? Only individually and sincerely answering the questions raised, each individual can more deeply imagine the direction of activity: according to the postulates of good or the laws of beauty. The choice is yours: ethics or aesthetics. What is this for you personally?