Morality and ethics. What are the similarities and differences?

The word “bigotry” carries a negative connotation, but the phenomenon itself is not considered something too bad. At the same time, the hypocrisy of others can greatly affect a person’s life. This is proven, for example, by the scandal “We have the right to swimsuits, piercings and, God forgive me, sex.” Lenta.ru with the dismissal of a teacher who posted a photo in a swimsuit on social networks, or history Cherchesov explained why he did not call Dzyuba to the national team. “He will stay at home, the situation will be closed.” Fontanka.ru Artyom Dzyuba, suspended from the national football team due to an intimate video leaked to the Internet.

Lifehacker finds out what morality is, how it differs from morality, and why both should not be confused with hypocrisy.

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Morality and ethical similarities and differences

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The nature of values

Axiology is a philosophical doctrine that studies the nature of values. Its name comes from the Greek words axios (value) and logos (teaching). Axiology, like philosophy itself, has gone through a long stage of development and formation in the form in which it exists now. At different times, people's ideas about the concept in question varied. For example, during the period of ancient and medieval philosophy, values ​​and being were identified concepts.

Epochs changed, and with them the philosophical system itself changed . These changes left their mark on the very understanding of values. If in the Middle Ages everything that happened in a person’s life was associated with religion, then in the Renaissance, humanism was put at the forefront. Thus, each era had its own value system.

As can be seen from the above example, values ​​are of a social nature and are formed under the influence of a specific historical era and the activities of people during this period and earlier. In different centuries, the same concept was assessed differently. Values ​​are often formed under the influence of the environment and the people around us.

Detailed classification

The first classification involves division by attribute. In this case, what exactly is being assessed is considered, as well as on what basis such an assessment takes place. Based on this gradation, values ​​are distinguished:

1. Subject. These include what is important to the individual. Some things, objects, phenomena can be considered as objective values.
2. Subjective. Based on them, the subject evaluates this or that phenomenon. Subjective values ​​include legal norms, attitudes, requirements, and law.

Values ​​differ in scope and distribution. According to this criterion, moral, scientific and artistic types are distinguished.

Values ​​are also classified according to the number of subjects for whom a particular phenomenon is important. According to this type, they are divided into universal, inherent to all people, group and simply values. Group values ​​are those that relate to a certain circle of people. For example, religious ones are characteristic of people of a particular confession, while national ones presuppose a community based on nationality. This also includes age values.

Additional criteria

The next criterion divides values ​​into external and internal . This gradation is based on the degree to which people recognize them as their own goals. One of the main classifications of values ​​is their significance for the people themselves. Taking this criterion into account, they are divided into eternal and situational. The latter, as the name itself suggests, change under the influence of external factors—changes of eras and value orientations.

The last classification takes as a basis the functions that perform certain values. We can distinguish, for example, those that are used as a method of control in society as a whole or in individual groups, as well as values ​​as a way of orientation.

Definition of morality

Morals are the social, cultural and religious beliefs or values ​​of a person or group that tell us what is right or wrong. These are the rules and standards adopted by society or culture that we must follow when deciding what is right. Some moral principles:

• Do not cheat
• Be loyal
• Be patient
• Always tell the truth
• Be generous

Morality refers to beliefs that are not objectively correct, but which are considered correct for any situation. Therefore, it can be said that what is morally right cannot be objectively right.

What is morality?

The modern concept of “morality” appears to each person differently, but carries the same meaning. The formation of internal ideas and decisions in the subconscious originates from it, and social position is built on it. The society in which we live is accustomed to dictating its own rules, but this does not mean that everyone is obliged to follow them, because everyone has the right to be an individual.

Often people choose a partial deviation from their moral values ​​in favor of a template and live their lives according to someone else's example. This leads to some disappointments, because you can lose the best years in finding yourself. Proper upbringing from a very young age makes a big impact on a person’s future fate. Considering what morality is, we can highlight some qualities inherent in it:

• kindness;
• compassion;
• honesty;
• sincerity;
• reliability;
• hard work;
• peacefulness.

Morality and moral values

Our society has increasingly come to believe that moral values ​​are a relic of the past. To achieve their goals, many go over their heads and such actions are completely contrary to the old days. Such a society cannot be called healthy and perhaps it is doomed to a meaningless existence. Fortunately, not everyone falls into the social funnel and the majority still remain honest and decent.

While searching for the meaning of life, a person develops his character and also develops high morality. Everything that parents have raised in a person can disappear over time or change in any direction. The world around us adjusts past values, perceptions and, in general, attitudes towards oneself and people, to create a comfortable existence. Now spiritual changes occur with the desire to earn more money and become financially independent.

Morality in psychology

Both ordinary people and psychologists have their own concepts of morality, from their own point of view, which can be completely different and never overlap, even if they are very similar. Each of the subspecies originates in the inner world of a person, his upbringing and values. The human psyche is divided by experts into two societies, each of which pursues its own goal:

1. Collective values ​​are herd instincts that, with their own world, can unite against the rest.
2. Compassionate values ​​are based on caring for one's neighbor for the benefit of any society.

Any objective morality is aimed at finding oneself as a socially secure, mature person. Psychologists believe that from birth a person is assigned to the first or second subgroup, and this is controlled by the individuals living with him and raising him. In the process of growing up and independently perceiving the world, re-education rarely occurs. If this does happen, then people who have changed themselves have very high fortitude and can go through any difficulties without changing themselves.

Definition of Morality

Morality is a branch of philosophy that deals with the principles of behavior of an individual or group. This works as a guiding principle to decide what is good or bad. These are the standards that govern a person's life. Morality is also known as moral philosophy. Some moral principles:

• Truthfulness
• Honesty
• Loyalty
• Respect
• Justice
• Integrity

How to develop morality?

Research shows that morality is formed in childhood. Its foundation is laid by the age of 7, and by 16 it is fully developed. This does not mean that an adult cannot influence his own moral development. He may well improve, instill in himself new principles and strictly adhere to them. However, for him they will be more moral than ethical.

Morality needs to be developed at an early age, so children need to be provided with the appropriate conditions for this. It is obvious that every responsible parent tries to instill in their child certain traits of moral behavior: honesty, responsibility, sincerity, decency and other generally recognized human values.

Despite efforts, not everyone succeeds, since parents themselves often misunderstand what morality is and try to impose their views on their children using incorrect or even unacceptable methods. Let's consider several correct approaches that will help develop morality in a child.

Personal example

In the practice of psychologists, a situation often occurs when a person has some inexplicable habit, about which he cannot say exactly where it came from. This could be an unusual way to prepare a certain dish or a strange sequence of actions in completely familiar activities. Subsequently, it often turns out that this habit was passed on to a person from his parents, but he himself did not even know about it.

Children adopt many aspects of their behavior from adults. And if you want to instill morality in your child, try to always behave appropriately in his presence. This is an effective pedagogical technique that provides a more reliable result than any persuasion or punishment.

Friendly conversation

Children react negatively to any moral teaching. They may agree, but only in order to quickly end the unpleasant conversation, because for a child any moral pressure is unbearable. At the same time, children perceive and remember very well the information they receive during an interesting, friendly conversation. Replace instructions and reproaches with advice, and the child will listen to you much more attentively.

Discussion with a joint search for truth

An excellent way of learning that ensures lasting retention of information is to independently search for the answer or find it in the process of discussion. Therefore, if you want to instill in your child some moral trait, try to make sure that he himself understands its importance. You can give an example from life and whet his interest with leading questions.

Educational games

Children's love of games is a powerful development mechanism provided by nature. So why not use it for its intended purpose? It is through games that children usually learn to interact with other people. And it is in games that it is best to instill in them such important aspects of morality as honesty, responsibility and justice. By looking at the reactions of other players, the child learns to think about those around him, overcoming his innate egocentric perception.

Reading

Not only children's fairy tales, but also quite adult literary works show the bad and good deeds of the characters, inviting the reader to draw the necessary conclusions for himself. Therefore, reading books helps children understand which actions are moral and which are not.

Developing morality in a child is not so difficult; the main thing is to pay attention to the little things that we have considered. It is also important to always let your child speak out, so that he realizes the value of his opinion for others and values ​​it more himself. In the future, he will attach more importance to his own thoughts, which is important for the development of morality.

Key Differences Between Morality and Ethics

The main differences between morality and morality are as follows:

1. Morality deals with what is "right or wrong." Morality deals with what is "good or evil."
2. Morals are general guidelines created by society. For example, we must tell the truth and not lie. Conversely, morality is a response to a specific situation. For example, is it moral to assert the truth in a particular situation?
3. The term "morality" comes from the Greek word "mos", which refers to customs, and customs are determined by a group of people or some authority. On the other hand, morality comes from the Russian word "nrav", which refers to character, and character is an attribute.
4. Morality is dictated by society, culture or religion. And morality is chosen by the person himself, who controls his life.
5. Morality is concerned with the principles of good and evil. On the contrary, morality emphasizes right and wrong behavior
6. Since morality is framed and developed by the group, there is no opportunity to think and choose. The individual can either accept or refuse. Conversely, a person is free to think and choose the principles of his life in morality.
7. Morality can vary from society to society and from culture to culture. This is in contrast to morality, which remains the same regardless of culture, religion or society.
8. Morality has nothing to do with business. While morality is widely applied at work.
9. Morality is expressed in the form of statements. But morality is not expressed in the form of statements.

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What signs distinguish a hypocrite from a moral person?

Demonstrative behavior

High moral standards and strict moral principles are not needed by bigots in order to live in accordance with ideas about justice, good and evil. Their main goal is to show themselves in the best light, emphasizing their exclusivity and superiority. Demonstrativeness helps them in this. Krasnova A.G. Phariseeism as a moral and ethical concept. Culture. Spirituality. A society of demonstrated “virtues.”

Thus, hypocrites may reproach people with low wages or obesity, saying that they themselves are to blame for their problems. At the same time, the bigots themselves may never have encountered either poverty or excess weight. This type of “Here I am…” statement is often called the white coat phenomenon.

Formal perception of postulated norms

The formalism of bigots regarding norms and rules is directly related to demonstrative behavior. Without understanding their essence, such people blindly follow the established canons. Thus, a formalist teacher will require students not to understand the meaning of the paragraph, but to memorize it, not to show creativity and originality, but to follow rules that are specific to the point of absurdity.

The norm for being a prude is a reason to label others. At the same time, he cares little about the internal content hidden behind them. For example, if people cohabit without getting married, it means they are debauchees. The prude doesn’t care that the couple can be satisfied with everything, and some unregistered relationships are much happier than official ones.

Double standards

There is another side to the formalism of bigots. What they demand from others can be done by Krasnova A.G. Phariseeism as a moral and ethical concept. Culture. Spirituality. Society is considered optional for oneself. For example, while condemning violence in video games and films that supposedly spoil the psyche of teenagers, a bigot happily consumes the same content and sees nothing wrong with it.

The vagueness and ambiguity of such concepts as morality, spirituality, justice, honesty, decency creates fertile ground for sanctimonious insinuations. This, coupled with demagoguery, allows you to interpret any events and actions in your favor, says A.G. Krasnova. Pharisaism as a moral and ethical concept. Culture. Spirituality. Society is about its own positive qualities, but denies them to other people.

A prude can judge girls in “too revealing” clothes on the street, but at the same time admire candid photos on the Internet; condemn swearing, but use foul language, explaining it with your own reasons. This behavior is most eloquently described by the meme “You don’t understand, this is different!”

Examples of behavior

• If the son of a major politician committed a crime. And the politician uses his powers to free his son from legal consequences. Then this act is immoral because the politician is trying to save the criminal.
• A very close friend or relative of the interviewer comes to the interview. And, without asking a single question, he chooses it. This act is not moral. Because the selection process must be transparent and impartial.
• A grocer sells adulterated products to its customers to earn more profit. This act is neither moral nor ethical. Because he is deceiving his clients and the profession at the same time.

Every person has some principles that help him cope with any adverse situation throughout his life. These are known as moral principles. On the other hand, morality is not hard and fast rules. Or very strict, but they are the rules that most people consider correct. This is why people accept them widely. This is all to distinguish morality from morality.

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Comparison

Morality and morality are fundamental philosophical categories that are under the jurisdiction of the science of ethics. But the meaning they carry is different. The essence of morality is that it prescribes or prohibits specific human actions or behavior. Morality is formed by society, and therefore it always meets the interests of a certain group (national, religious, etc.). Think about it, even crime clans have their own morals! At the same time, they are necessarily opposed by another part of society - with its own foundations and norms, and from this it follows that there can be a great many moralities at one time. Typically, morality is fixed in a law (code), which establishes certain standards of behavior. Every human act according to this law is assessed by society either negatively or positively. It is interesting that in the same society, morality can change beyond recognition over time (as, for example, happened in Russia in the 20th century), dictating directly opposite principles of behavior.

Morality is unchanged in content and extremely simple in form. It is absolute and expresses the interests of man (and humanity) as a whole. One of the main moral guidelines is the attitude towards another as oneself, and love for one’s neighbor, which means that morality initially does not accept violence, contempt, humiliation, or infringement of someone’s rights. The most moral person acts is the one who commits moral actions without even thinking about it. He simply cannot behave differently. Morality is aimed primarily at self-affirmation, and morality is aimed at selfless interest in another person. Morality is closest to the ideal, to the universe.

Proverbs about morality

Proverbs are worldly wisdom. For example, a phrase I read in a hairdresser when I was probably six years old became defining for me. It read:

“Nothing comes so cheaply and is valued so dearly as politeness.”.

Even as a child, I was stunned by its genius, and what’s remarkable is that it contains real truth that helps me establish contacts with people. How easy it is to be polite and how much it can give. Extra thanks please. Don’t say them, and the attitude towards you will be different.

Regarding the topic of morality, these proverbs and expressions are well suited:

And here's some more folk wisdom:

As you sow, so shall you reap. Take care of your clothes again, and honor from a young age. For a good greeting, a kind answer. As we are to people, so are people to us. Expect good for good, bad for bad. When doing evil, do not hope for good. Whoever follows evil will not find good. Sowing good means reaping good. Virtue is rewarded. As you go to bed, so will you sleep. As it comes back, so will it respond

Notice how often and differently the golden rule of morality described above is played out in proverbs. Our people are amazingly smart after all. Wise!

The problem of morality

Looking at modern society, it is easy to notice that moral development is characterized by decline. In the twentieth century, the world experienced a sudden decline in all laws and moral values ​​of society. Moral problems began to appear in society, which negatively affected the formation and development of humane humanity. This decline reached an even greater development in the twenty-first century. Throughout human existence, many moral problems have been noted, which in one way or another had a negative impact on the individual. Guided by spiritual guidelines in different eras, people put something of their own into the concept of morality. They were capable of doing things that in modern society terrify absolutely every sane person. For example, the Egyptian pharaohs, who were afraid of losing their kingdom, committed unthinkable crimes, killing all newborn boys. Moral norms are rooted in religious laws, adherence to which shows the essence of the human personality. Honor, dignity, faith, love for the homeland, for man, loyalty - qualities that served as the direction in human life, to which part of the laws of God reached at least to some extent. Consequently, throughout its development, society tended to deviate from religious commandments, which led to the emergence of moral problems.

The development of moral problems in the twentieth century is a consequence of the world wars. The era of decline in morals has been going on since the First World War; during this crazy time, human life became devalued. The conditions in which people had to survive erased all moral restrictions, personal relationships devalued just like human life at the front. The involvement of humanity in inhumane bloodshed dealt a crushing blow to morality.

One of the periods when moral problems appeared was the communist period. During this period, it was planned to destroy all religions, and, accordingly, the moral norms embedded in it. Even if in the Soviet Union the development of moral rules was much higher, this position could not be maintained for long. Along with the destruction of the Soviet world, there was a decline in the morality of society.

In the current period, one of the main problems of morality is the fall of the family institution. Which brings with it a demographic catastrophe, an increase in divorces, and the birth of countless children out of wedlock. Views on the family, motherhood and fatherhood, and raising a healthy child are regressing. The development of corruption in all areas, theft, and deception is of certain importance. Now everything is bought, exactly as it is sold: diplomas, victories in sports, even human honor. This is precisely the consequences of the decline in morality.

Functions of morality

Since human morality is a phenomenon of social and spiritual life, it must imply certain functions that people perform in turn. Without even suspecting it, these tasks always occur in any modern society and, fortunately, are beneficial. Refusal of them entails loneliness and isolation, in addition to the inability to actively develop.

1. Regulatory.
2. Cognitive.
3. Educational.
4. Estimated.

Each of them is considered a goal and an opportunity for spiritual growth and development. Considering what morality is, existence without these functions is completely impossible. Society helps to develop and grow only those individuals who can control the opportunities within themselves that give rise to these goals. There is no need to specifically train them, all actions occur automatically, in most cases for the benefit.