The study of human society is a very multi-layered and difficult task. However, the basis is always the behavior of each individual and the group as a whole. It is from this that the further development or degradation of society depends. In this case, it is necessary to determine the ratio of the concepts of "ethics", "morality" and "morality".
Morality
Consider the terms of ethics, morality and morality sequentially. Morality refers to the principles of behavior accepted by the public majority. At different times, morality appears in different guises, in fact, like humanity. From this we conclude that morality and society are inextricably linked, which means that they should be considered only as one whole.
The very definition of morality as a form of behavior is very vague. When we hear about moral or immoral behavior, we are poorly aware of specific things. This is due to the fact that behind this concept is only a certain basis for morality. Not specific prescriptions or clear rules, but only general directions.
Moral standards
Norms of morality - this is exactly what the concept itself contains. Some general prescriptions, often not specific in nature. For example, one of the highest forms of Thomas Aquinas morality: "Strive for good, avoid evil." Very vague. The general direction is clear, but the concrete steps remain a mystery. What is good and evil? After all, we know that in the world there is not only "black and white." Indeed, good can be harmed, and evil is sometimes useful. All this quickly leads the mind to a standstill.
We can call morality a strategy: it identifies general directions, but omits specific steps. Suppose there is a certain army. The expression "high / low morality" is often applied to it. But this does not mean the well-being or behavior of each individual soldier, but the state of the entire army as a whole. General, strategic concept.
Moral
Morality is also a principle of behavior. But, unlike morality, it is practically directed and more specific. Morality also has certain rules that are approved by the majority. It is they who help in achieving high moral behavior.
Morality, in contrast to morality, has a very concrete idea. These can be said strict regulations.
Moral rules
The rules of morality are the core of the whole concept. For example: "you must not deceive people", "you must not take someone else's", "you should be polite to all people." Everything is concise and extremely simple. The only question that arises is why is this needed? Why do you need to adhere to moral behavior? Here morality enters the stage.
While morality is a general development strategy, morality explains concrete steps and suggests tactics. By themselves, they do not function correctly. If you imagine that clear-cut actions take place aimlessly, then in them, obviously, all meaning disappears. The converse is also true, a global goal without concrete plans is doomed to remain unfulfilled.
Let us recall the analogy with the army: if morality appears as the general condition of the whole company, then morality is the quality of each individual soldier.
Education of morality
Based on life experience, we understand that moral education is necessary for life in society. If human nature were not limited by the laws of decency and each individual was guided only by basic instincts, then society, as we know it today, would quickly end. If you set aside the laws of good and evil, right and wrong, then ultimately we will face the only goal - survival. And before the instinct of self-preservation, even the most exalted goals fade.
In order to avoid general chaos, it is necessary to educate in a person the concept of morality from an early age. Various institutions serve for this, the main of which is the family. It is in the family that the child gains those beliefs that will remain with him for life. It is impossible to underestimate the importance of such education, because it actually determines the future life of a person.
A slightly less important element is the institution of official education: school, university, etc. At school, the child is in a close collective, and therefore is forced to learn to interact correctly with others. Whether the responsibility for upbringing lies with teachers or not is another question, everyone thinks differently. However, the fact of having a team plays a leading role.
One way or another, all education is reduced to the fact that a person will be constantly "examined" by society. The task of moral education is to facilitate this test and direct it on the right path.
The functions of morality
And if so much effort has been invested in the education of morality, then it would be nice to analyze it in more detail. There are at least three main functions. They are a correlation of ethics, morality and morality.
- Educational.
- Controlling.
- Estimated.
Educational, as the name implies, educates. This function is responsible for the formation of a person's correct views. Moreover, often it is a question not only of children, but also of completely adult and conscious citizens. If a person observes behavior that is inappropriate to the laws of morality, he is urgently brought up for education. It appears in different forms, but the goal is always the same - calibration of the moral compass.
The controlling function precisely monitors human behavior. It contains the usual norms of behavior. They, with the help of educational functions, are nurtured in the mind and, one might say, control themselves. If self-control or education is not enough, then public censure or religious disapproval is applied.
Evaluation helps others at the theory level. This function evaluates the act and hangs on it the label of moral or immoral. The educational function teaches a person on the basis of a value judgment. It is they who represent the field for the work of the controlling function.
Ethics
Ethics is a philosophical science of morality. But no instruction or teachings are supposed here, just a theory. Observation of the history of morality and morality, the study of current standards of behavior and the search for absolute truth. Ethics, as the science of morality, requires painstaking study, and therefore a concrete description of behavior patterns remains "to colleagues in the shop."
Ethics objectives
The main task of ethics is to determine the correct concept, the principle of action, according to which morality should work. In fact, this is simply a theory of a certain doctrine, within the framework of which everything else is described. That is, we can say that ethics - the doctrine of morality, is primary in relation to practical social disciplines.
Naturalistic concept
There are several basic concepts in ethics. Their main task is to identify problems and solutions. And if they are unanimous in the highest moral goal, then the methods are very different.
Let's start with naturalistic concepts. According to such theories, morality, morality, ethics and the origin of morality are inextricably linked. The origin of morality is defined as the qualities originally inherent in a person. That is, it is not a product of society, but represents somewhat complicated instincts.
The most obvious of these concepts is the theory of C. Darwin. It states that moral standards generally accepted in society are not unique to the human species. Animals also have moral concepts. A very controversial postulate, but before disagreeing, let's look at the evidence.
The whole animal world is given as an example. The same things that are elevated to the absolute by morality (mutual assistance, empathy and communication) are also present in the animal kingdom. Wolves, for example, care about the safety of their own flock, and helping each other is not at all alien to them. And if we take their close relatives - dogs, then their desire to protect "their" is striking in its development. In everyday life, we can observe this on the example of the relationship between the dog and the owner. The dog does not need to be taught devotion to man, it is only possible to train certain moments, like the right attack, various teams. From this it follows that loyalty is inherent in a dog from the very beginning, by nature.
Of course, in wild animals, mutual assistance is associated with the desire for survival. Those species that did not help each other and their own offspring simply became extinct, could not stand the competition. And also, according to Darwin's theory, morality and morality are inherent in man with the goal of passing through natural selection.
But survival is not so important for us now, in the age of technology, when most of us do not have a shortage of food or a roof over our heads! This, of course, is true, but let's look at natural selection a little wider. Yes, in animals this means fighting with nature and competing with other inhabitants of the fauna. Modern man does not need to fight either one or the other, and therefore he fights with himself and other representatives of humanity. And this means that natural selection in this context means development, overcoming, and the struggle not with the external, but with the internal enemy. Society is developing, morality is strengthening, and so the chances of survival are increasing.
Utilitarianism concept
Utilitarianism assumes the maximum benefit for the individual. That is, the moral value and level of morality of an act directly depend on the consequences. If as a result of some actions the happiness of people has increased, these actions are correct, and the process itself is secondary. In essence, utilitarianism is a vivid example of the expression: "the end justifies the means."
This concept is often misinterpreted as completely selfish and "soulless." This, of course, is not so, but there is no smoke without fire. The thing is, utilitarianism between the lines involves a certain degree of selfishness. This is not directly said, but the principle itself - "maximize the benefits for all people" - involves a subjective assessment. After all, we cannot know how our actions will affect others, we can only speculate, which means we are not completely sure. The most accurate forecast is given to us only by our own feelings. We can more accurately say what we like, than trying to guess the preferences of the people around. It follows that in the first place we will be guided by our own preferences. It is difficult to directly call egoism, but the bias towards personal gain is obvious.
Also, the very essence of utilitarianism is criticized, namely the neglect of the process due to the result. We are all familiar with how easily we can deceive ourselves. Come up with something that really isn’t. Also here: a person, when calculating the usefulness of an action, is inclined to deceive himself and to tailor the facts to his personal interest. And then such a path becomes very slippery, because in fact it provides the individual with a tool to justify himself, regardless of the perfect act.
Theories of Creationism
The concept of creationism makes divine laws the basis of moral behavior. The commandments and instructions of the saints play the role of moral sources. It is necessary to act according to the highest postulates and within the framework of a certain religious denomination. That is, a person is not given the opportunity to calculate the benefits of an act or to think about the correctness of a particular decision. Everything has already been done for him, everything is written and known, all that remains is to take and do. Indeed, from a religious point of view, a person is extremely unreasonable and imperfect, and therefore, letting him decide on morality is like giving a newborn child a textbook on space engineering: he will tear everything up, he will be exhausted, but he won’t understand anything. So in creationism, only an act that agrees with religious dogmas is considered the only true and moral.
Output
From the above, we can clearly trace the relationship between the concepts of ethics, morality and morality. Ethics provides the basis, morality defines the highest goal, and morality reinforces everything with concrete steps.