We all remember the original theme of essays on the Russian language “Hero of Our Time”. The hero of our time - who is he? And why the hero can only be "our" time? Who can accomplish a feat? And what is timeless heroism ? Let us try to turn to values, the meaning of life, truth - the essence of the category of morality, which does not have a transitory meaning in time.
Morally - is it moral?
Thinking about values is out of fashion now. The question "who can accomplish the feat" is not discussed. The burning issue is price. Despite the fact that the number of “beautiful words” with which speculations are hiding has grown enormously. Each newly made "guru" makes "posts" and "reposts" about subtle concepts, turning them into trash.
First of all, it is worth understanding that morality and morality are not identical categories. That which is moral is a timeless truth. This kind of morality is contained in the commandments. “Do not kill” is the holy right to life of every person, and no one can encroach on the shrine. Morality is a historical form of morality. In one historical era, it is moral to execute a person, in another - to declare a moratorium and recognize the right to life as absolute, which means returning the moral foundation to the concept.
Selfie Heroics
In eastern countries, a hand is chopped off for theft. In Eurasian - the punishment for such an act is determined by the amount. Moreover, the larger it is, the more problematic the punishment. Where are the boundaries of morality, where are the standards of morality? It is difficult to answer the question. Who is the hero? Can a character make a modern video? The massive lay-out of clips of “achievers” - modern selfies - turns into stupid things about themselves, and sometimes a crime in relation to society.
“Heroism” in the understanding of the authors of the plots, when simple human stupidity is publicized worldwide is one of the options for modern morality, or rather, its absence. In principle, this is not surprising. The famous expression, “About times, about morals!” Is as old as the world.
Instinct or awareness?
Heroism is a person’s ability to sacrifice for the sake of universal values. Is Pavlik Morozov a hero, a man who has accomplished a feat? In the last century, he was the standard of education for the younger generation. The time when incomparable quantities were put on the scales — an individual or a society — is gone, swinging the scales to the other side. Nowadays, it is an “antihero” who betrayed his father - the prototype of such an option for a modern entrepreneur who at any cost solves the issue of personal enrichment.
People who went to the embrasure in the name of saving friends, beloved ones, the Motherland? Mother protecting her baby? Is it instinct or awareness, heroism? Has he remained “in the name” of the past? If not, in what forms does it appear today? What feats do people today?
Why in this case it is advisable to ask a question rather than answer it? Because the question opens the way to knowing the truth. And the answer closes it. And in our time it is very difficult to unequivocally answer the question of heroism.
Batman is a hero of our time
The world in its fleeting movement, according to the principle of rationalism, should strive for an absolute point of equilibrium. This is an ideal path of development - only to truth, only to unity. Because plurality is chaos and disorder.
The hero of our time, who can accomplish the feat, is a kind of collective image, cartoon Batman. Because modern society is virtual, there is a change of game and life. Therefore, so often the actions of people are beyond comprehension.
Heroism is not necessarily a public, one-time act. The tradition of our thinking draws a picture of such a super-shift hero who works wonders in front of a woman in love. Again some kind of telepattern.
True heroism is the inner freedom of man
Life-long heroism is a true masterpiece of humanism. Women who brought up worthy children are happy themselves, and society is happy. Everyday heroism, in which all energy, time, thoughts are devoted to a holy purpose - to educate a person. You can call a hero a person who has made a world discovery and has benefited people. This man consciously put his soul, heart, thought, life into something that all of humanity can use. Here is a real hero, out of time, out of space.
Heroes who have accomplished feats are people of a high level of morality and responsibility. They will not shoot themselves on videos in order to put them on the Internet. This is an intimate question of human conscience. Most often, the heroes do not consider themselves as such, they simply fulfilled the duty of honor. A debt that is sometimes worth life. A duty, which in itself is not an obligation to something external, but an internal need of the person himself to act morally.
The time of "selfie" as a tribute to the moment will pass along with the history of the formation of the Internet. There will remain humane moral principles that are timeless.