"There is no man who would be like an island"
( John Donne )
Society consists of many individuals who are very similar in many respects, but also extremely different in their aspirations and outlooks on the world, experience and perception of reality. The moral that unites us is those special rules accepted 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 is largely decisive for the regulation of life in society, has several basic features. So, its fundamental requirements for all members of society are the same regardless of position. They operate even in situations that are outside the area of responsibility of legal principles and apply to such areas of life as creativity, science, production.
The norms of social morality, in other words, traditions, are significant in communication between specific individuals and groups of people, allowing you to "speak the same language." Legal principles are imposed on society, and their failure to carry carries with it consequences of varying severity. Traditions and moral standards are voluntary, each member of the society agrees to them without coercion.
Types of moral standards
Over the centuries, moral norms took various forms. So, in a primitive society, such a principle as taboo was indisputable. People who were proclaimed as transmitting the will of the gods were strictly regulated as forbidden actions that could threaten the entire society. Their violation was inevitably followed by the most severe punishment: death or exile, which in most cases was one and the same. Taboo is still preserved in many traditional societies. Here, as a moral norm, examples are as follows: you can’t be in 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 tip, it may be custom. It is a repeating order of actions, which is especially important in order to maintain a certain position in society. In Muslim countries, for example, it is traditions that are most venerated than other moral norms. Customs based on religious beliefs in Central Asia can cost a living. For us, more accustomed to European culture, legislation is an analogue. It has the same effect on us as on traditional Muslim moral standards. Examples in this case: a ban on drinking alcohol, closed clothing for women. For our Slavic-European society, the customs are: bake pancakes on Maslenitsa, celebrate New Year with a Christmas tree.
Among moral norms, a tradition is also singled out - the order of actions and the way of behavior that has been preserved for a long time, transmitted from generation to generation. A kind, traditional moral standards, examples. In this case, they 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 moral rules - those are the 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 for a woman.
Moral functions
One of the functions is evaluating. Morality considers events and actions that take place in society from the point of view of their usefulness or danger for further development, and then passes its verdict. Reality of all kinds is evaluated in terms of good and evil, forming an environment in which each of its manifestations can be given a rating, both positive and negative. With this function, a person can understand his place in the world and form his position.
Equally important is the regulatory function. Morality actively influences people's consciousness, often acting better than legal restrictions. Since childhood, with the help of upbringing, each member of the society forms certain views on what can and cannot be done, and this helps him to adjust his behavior in such a way that it is useful for himself and for development in general. Morality standards regulate both the internal views of a person, which means 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 forms a consciousness of the value of needs and other participants in society, which, in turn, leads to mutual respect. A person enjoys his freedom until it violates the freedom of other people. Moral ideals, 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, and what religion they follow.
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 norm and morality, which are fundamental, are formed by natural selection, when only those individuals survived who could correctly interact with others. For example, parental love is cited, which expresses the need to protect offspring from all external dangers in order to ensure the survival of the species, and the incest ban, which protects the population from degeneration by mixing too similar genes, which leads to the appearance of weak children.
Humanism as the basic principle of morality
Humanism is a 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 the basis of each society should be the idea that each participant has a value and worthy of protection and freedom .
The basic idea of humanism can be expressed in a well-known rule: "treat the other as you want to be treated." Another person in this principle is considered to deserve the same benefits as any particular person.
Humanism implies that society should guarantee basic human rights, such as the right to life, the inviolability of the home and correspondence, freedom of religion and choice of residence, and the prohibition of forced labor. Society should make efforts to support people who, for one reason or another, are limited in their abilities. The ability to accept such people is distinguished by a human society that does not live according to the laws of nature with natural selection, condemning the insufficiently strong to death. Humanism also creates opportunities for human happiness, the pinnacle of which is the realization of his knowledge and skills.
Humanism as a source of universal moral standards
Humanism today 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 the level of production. He says that the containment of needs and the involvement of everyone in solving the problems facing the whole society can only happen through an increase in the level of consciousness, the development of spirituality. It forms universal moral norms.
Mercy as a fundamental principle of morality
By mercy we understand a person’s willingness to help people in need, to sympathize with them, perceiving their torment 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 have a division of people into “friends” and “strangers”, so that he sees in everyone “his”.
Currently, great emphasis is placed on the fact that a person should actively help those who need charity, and it is important that he not only provide practical assistance, but also be ready to support him morally.
Equality as the basic principle of morality
From a moral point of view, equality calls for people’s actions to be evaluated regardless of their social status and wealth, and from a general point of view, that the approach to human actions should be universal. Such a state of affairs can only be in a well-developed society, which 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 implies that a person is able to do something good for another person for free, that this will not be a service that needs to be answered, but a disinterested impulse. This moral principle is very important in modern society, when life in big cities alienates people from each other, creates the feeling that caring for one's neighbor without intent is impossible.
Moral and law
Law and morality are in close contact, since they together form the rules in society, but they have a number of significant differences. The ratio of legal and moral norms makes it possible to identify their differences.
The rules of law are documented and developed by the state as binding rules, for the non-compliance of which inevitably follows responsibility. Categories of legal and illegal are used as an assessment, and this assessment is objective, based on regulatory documents, such as the constitution and various codes.
Moral norms and principles are more flexible and different people can be perceived differently, 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 standards are quite subjective, 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, a violation of moral principles can lead to torment of conscience.
The correlation of law and morality can be traced in many cases. So, the moral principles of “do not kill”, “do not steal” correspond to the laws prescribed in the Criminal Code that the attempt on human life and its property leads to criminal liability and imprisonment. There may also be a conflict of principles when a legal violation - for example, euthanasia prohibited in our country, which is considered to be killing a person - can be justified by moral convictions - a person does not want to live, there is no hope of recovery, the disease causes him unbearable pain.
Thus, the difference between legal and moral norms is expressed only in legislation.
Conclusion
Norms of morality were born in society in the process of evolution; their appearance is not accidental. They were needed earlier in order to maintain society and protect it from internal conflicts, and still carry out this and other functions, developing and progressing with society. Morality standards have been and will remain an integral element of a civilized society.