Ideas about morality in different countries
Morality is an unspoken code that guides the life of society. In different countries, the concepts of “good”, “evil”, “bad”, “shameful”, “good”, “right”, etc. are interpreted differently.
What does it mean to be a moral person, for example, in Thailand? It is enough not to discuss out loud the life of the royal family, especially the actions of the king. In Russia, anyone can express their opinion about the personality and life of the president. From the point of view of Islam, a person who clearly follows the rules of Sharia is considered moral. The measure of morality is the motivation of his actions: sincere, selfish or hypocritical. Since ancient times, Jews and Christians believed that morality was sent by God and is a set of rules (10 commandments). It is quite natural that to the question of what it means to be moral, representatives of these societies will give different answers, corresponding to a specific culture and morality. But they will also have something in common: all cultures recognize that a moral person follows the laws and guidelines of the ethics that are accepted in a certain society, and never violates the laws (legal and moral) accepted in his environment. This is a correct but narrow understanding of morality. But there are also universal human values in the world that do not depend on the characteristics of a particular culture. And from this point of view, the answer to the question of what it means to be a moral person will sound completely different.
Assessing Moral Attitudes
Although moral attitudes are an integral part of the thought process, you must have a good understanding of your own attitudes in order to communicate effectively with other people. Here are some tips for adjusting your settings.
– Remember that every person is unique. The behavior of one person cannot be judged by the behavior of millions. Remember that every employee you work with and every client you serve is different. The better you understand other people, the more effectively you can communicate with them.
Universal morality and ethics
Moral and moral values are inherent not only in a particular society, but also in a particular person. They can change over time: a person and society develop, traditions and foundations change, new relationships arise. However, all peoples, regardless of the time of their residence on Earth, culture, religion and government, have absolute moral truths. Prohibitions against murder and theft are just two examples of universal human values.
They are necessary for the prosperity of every society and for the peaceful coexistence of peoples with different religions and cultures. From this point of view, the answer to the question of what it means to be a moral person will sound somewhat different. Suppose someone follows the laws (written and unwritten), does not swear on the streets, does not kill animals and people, does not disturb public order because it is prohibited or not accepted. Naturally, this person can be called moral. But if someone does the same out of his own convictions, then he is considered deeply moral. What does it mean to be a moral person? Follow the prescribed principles and rules to avoid condemnation or punishment. What does it mean to be a moral person? Understand the meaning of values that are close to all people, follow morality not out of fear, but out of conviction.
Functions of morality
Man is a creature with freedom of choice and he has every right to choose the path of following moral standards or vice versa. This choice of a person who puts good or evil on the scales is called a moral choice. Having such freedom of choice in real life, the subject is faced with a difficult task: to follow personal needs or blindly follow what should be. Having made a choice for himself, the subject bears certain moral consequences, for which the subject himself is responsible, both to society and to himself.
Analyzing the features of morality, we can extract several of its functions:
– Regulation function. Following moral principles leaves a certain mark on the consciousness of the individual. The formation of certain views of behavior (what is allowed to be done and what is not allowed) occurs from an early age. This kind of action helps the subject to adjust his behavior in line with usefulness not only for himself, but also for society. Moral norms are capable of regulating the individual beliefs of the subject to the same extent as the interaction between groups of people, which favors the preservation of culture and stability.
– Evaluation function. Morality evaluates actions and situations occurring in a social society in terms of good and evil. The actions that have taken place are assessed for their usefulness or negativeness for further development; after this, each action is given an assessment from the moral side. Thanks to this function, the subject forms the concept of belonging to society and develops his own position in it.
– Function of education. Under the influence of this function, a person develops an awareness of the importance of not only his own needs, but also the needs of the people who surround him. A feeling of empathy and respect arises, which contributes to the harmonious development of relationships in society, understanding the moral ideals of another individual, contributes to a better understanding of each other.
– Control function. Determines control over the use of moral norms, as well as condemnation of their consequences at the societal and individual levels.
– Integration function. Following moral standards unites humanity into a single group, which supports the survival of man as a species. It also helps maintain the integrity of the spiritual world of the individual. The key functions of morality are: evaluative, educational and regulatory. They reflect the social significance of morality.
Moral education
A person is born into society, therefore, from childhood he absorbs its morals. Unfortunately, it often happens that local ethics begin to prevail over universal human values.
And then Muslims oppose Christians, the crusaders try to instill their beliefs with the help of the sword, some countries bring their own “democracy” to their neighbors, without being interested in their beliefs. In today's turbulent world, it is especially important to instill moral and ethical foundations in a child from childhood.
What does it mean to be a moral person: examples from literature
- In the novel L.N. In Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,” Natasha Rostova faces the need for a moral choice that will not be condemned by society, but is only a matter of morality. When residents left besieged Moscow, the Rostov family had the opportunity to take away their belongings. The heroine must decide whether to take away valuables or give the carts to help the wounded soldiers. The heroine chooses selfless help to strangers. The situation of fulfilling a moral duty showed that helping people in need is much more important than material wealth.
- In the work of M.Yu. Lermontov's "Hero of Our Time" one of the main ideas is the loss of spiritual values. A hero who has lost his spiritual foundations cannot find peace of mind and happiness. If a person does not realize the importance of good deeds, love, friendship, he cannot experience the joy of life. So, Pechorin, trying to get everything from life, rejected love and friendship, thereby depriving himself of happiness. His search is fruitless, because short-term emotions - bright novels and exciting adventures cannot give a person a feeling of completeness and meaning in life. As a result, the hero’s vital resources are exhausted, he does not see anything bright ahead and leaves this world, having realized his mistake.
This is what happens today, when moral principles are replaced by mercantile interests and the desire to rise above others in any way.
Special item
To this end, in 19 regions of the Russian Federation, a new subject “Fundamentals of Religious Cultures and Secular Ethics” (FRCSE) has been introduced into the school curriculum. What does it mean to be moral? What values are close to people around the world? What moral values underlie different religions? Why should people adhere to universal human values? Teachers teaching a new subject try to answer these and other questions. It is designed to develop motivation for conscious moral behavior, which is based on the ability to make the right and free moral choice.
The structure of morality
The highest value is a person’s life, his attitude towards his neighbors and the world as a whole. value series is built in relation to this guideline : love, peaceful coexistence, altruism, honesty, responsibility, courage, desire for self-improvement, hard work, etc.
It should be noted that this hierarchy can change in the process of personality development - for example, teenagers who do not fully understand the significance of their actions may commit a crime and harm the lives of other people just for the sake of the approval of their peers. Or, for example, a sense of responsibility - it also manifests itself with varying strength, depending on age, marital status and place in society.
This is interesting: the meaning of the term immoral, who is an immoral person?
It is important to form the correct value system in childhood, convincing with words and personal example.
Society promotes an idealized value system, that is, one in which, if followed, a person will make as few mistakes as possible in relationships with others. However, everyone has the right to choose - to follow this system or to be an adherent of another, if, of course, it does not cross the boundaries of legal norms. This decision is called a moral choice.
Let's sum it up
So what does it mean to be a moral person? This means:
- Adhere to the morals accepted in a particular society.
- Be prepared to make the right and informed moral choice.
- Consciously adhere to universal human values.
- Be guided in your behavior by these values.
- Be able to answer for immoral or immoral actions.
- Understand that only adherence to moral principles helps to live spiritually in society, avoid wars, and develop.
Tyrants, dictators, despots, some modern politicians strive to dominate and achieve their own goals, ignoring moral principles and moral laws. Societies headed by such rulers are degrading. Tyrants, having reached the top, remain there alone.
Why are values needed?
The direction of moral values is determined by a person’s upbringing from an early age. Values can be negative and positive.
Each nation has developed standard moral foundations that form a civilized society: in it, private benefits obtained at the expense of other people are lower in importance than the well-being of the entire society.
Through moral principles, statements and actions are regulated before they are spoken/committed. These principles recommend taking into account the rights and interests of other members of society.
Note! If the discrepancy in the spiritual values of two people is too significant, then their interaction with each other can develop into a serious conflict.
Generalized ideas of morality are expressed in the concepts of evil and good, distinguishing between morality and its absence. Traditionally, good means benefit to society, but this concept is relative - in certain eras the meaning attached to it has changed.
Compliance with the canons and traditions accepted in society, personal internal priorities allows a person to live harmoniously and balanced in society. If he adheres to values and rules that run counter to the standard ones in a given society, then his life becomes isolated and isolated. When a person commits humiliating, evil acts, society expresses its disapproval and reproaches him.
By observing moral principles, a person leads a comfortable life in society, carries out noble and useful actions, his conscience is not burdened with anything.
This is interesting! How the natural and social essence manifests itself in a person
What is morality?
If you are interested in morality, what it is and you want to know who is the author of the term “morality”, you will have to look into the distant past. The word morality was first mentioned by the ancient Greek philosopher Cicero. The word comes from the Greek mores, which means “generally accepted traditions.” Aristotle later positioned the concept of the word “morality” as defining a separate branch of the study of “practical” philosophy, because it answers the question: what should we do?
Reflecting on what morality means, Aristotle named the main goal of ethical happiness - the activity of the soul in the fullness of virtue, that is, self-realization.
Self-realization of a person is a reasonable act that avoids extremes and maintains a golden mean. Therefore, the basis of virtue is moderation and caution. The branch of philosophy that studies the norms of morality and morality is called “ethics”. In ethics, the definition of the word morality is as follows: morality is a synthesis of generally accepted norms of behavior in society, an understanding of what is good and what is bad, where is the line between good and evil, attitude towards oneself, others and nature.
Foundation for building a harmonious society
Moral norms and principles ensure the achievement of harmony and integrity when people enter into relationships with each other. In addition, there is greater scope for creating a favorable environment in your own soul. If good has a creative role, then evil has a destructive role. Malicious intentions harm interpersonal relationships; they are engaged in the decomposition of the individual’s inner world.
A person’s moral standards are also important because their goal is the integrity of kindness in a person and the limitation of its negative manifestations. You need to realize the fact that the soul needs to maintain a good internal climate, set yourself the task of becoming well-behaved.
Moral standards emphasize the duty of each person to renounce sinful behavior both towards himself and those around him. We must make a commitment to society, which, however, will not complicate our lives, but, on the contrary, will improve it. The extent to which a person respects moral and ethical standards is controlled by the outside world. Adjustments are underway with the help of public opinion. Conscience manifests from within, which also compels us to act in the right way. By succumbing to it, each person realizes his duty.
What role does morality play in the life of society and the individual?
People evaluate their actions and the actions of others from a moral point of view. This applies to economics, politics and, of course, the clergy. They select moral implications to justify certain decisions made in each of these areas.
It is necessary to adhere to the norms and rules of behavior, to serve the common good of people. There is an objective need for collective conduct of social life. Since people need each other, it is moral norms that ensure their harmonious coexistence. After all, a person cannot exist alone, and his desire to create an honest, kind and truthful world both around himself and in his own soul is quite understandable.
Historical excursion
To understand what morality or moral standards are, we need a short historical excursion. The concept of morality as such was proposed by the ancient Roman politician and philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43). The term comes from the Latin moralitas, which translates as “morality”. By the way, this word is to some extent consonant with the Latin mores, which means “behavior.” Thus, already in the terminology itself there is a relationship between human behavior and morality.
Of course, this does not mean that before Cicero no one asked questions of morality, did not try to understand what it is and whether there are any rules of morality that are common to all people. In this regard, the observations of the ancient Greek philosopher Pyrrho (360-275) are very interesting. Let us immediately make a reservation that Pyrrho personally did not write philosophical treatises and did not record his observations in any way. Therefore, we can judge his views only from the notes of his contemporaries and the works of later authors who became interested in his legacy.
It is believed that it was Pyrrho who came up with the idea that there is no reason to consider some norms of behavior more correct for everyone, and some less correct. What is considered immoral here and now may be the norm for another time and society with other traditions and ways of life. This idea is referred to by the author of the scientific work What did Pyrrho Think about the Nature of the Divine and the Good? (“What did Pyrrho think about the nature of the Divine and the Good?”) [R. Bett, 1994].
In principle, this is so, and if modern animal defenders could see the ancient hunt for mammoths alive, they would certainly brand such an activity with shame, leaving our distant ancestors with only the tops and roots of various plants for food.
These views, which question the very existence of reasons to consider something right or wrong, eventually became the basis of the principle of moral relativism, which proclaims that absolute good and evil do not exist, just as there is no single objective criterion of morality. The concept of “moral relativism” has roots in Latin and comes from the Latin relativus, which translates as “relative.” You can read more about the principle of moral relativism in the article “Moral relativism” [A. Kruglov, 2011].
Moral nihilism is ideologically close to moral relativism. The only difference is the greater radicalism of the postulates. Thus, moral nihilism does not recognize not only the absolute interpretation of good or evil, but even the possibility of subjective assessment of something as bad or good. From the point of view of moral nihilism, morality is only a set of conditional rules, following which you can adapt to society, achieve some success and get some material benefits. In principle, we cannot talk about any logical justification for the principles of morality.
There is, of course, some truth in this, but everything is good in moderation. Moral relativism and moral nihilism in extreme forms lead to a philosophy of permissiveness, devalue morality as such and can lead to legal problems. This topic is touched upon in the work La bureaucratie rationelle et la crise de la culture (“Rational bureaucracy and the cultural crisis”) [V. Porus, 2013].
In turn, moral relativism is opposed by moral absolutism, according to which certain absolute moral norms exist; all that remains is to find them and strictly follow them. This is not always possible, as is clearly shown in the article Moral Absolutism and the Problem of Hard Cases [T. McConnell, 1981]. In addition, you can read about the vicissitudes of the scientific search for a solution to the problem in the work “Moral absolutism: general characteristics and modern approaches” [G. Mehed, 2015].
In a sense, the principle of moral universalism or moral objectivism echoes moral absolutism. The key idea is that the creation of a system of moral values that is universal and independent of country, nation, religion, gender, race is not only possible, but also necessary. In a sense, the principle of moral universalism is embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948 [UN, 1948]. At a minimum, this document takes into account the basic principles of the rights and freedoms of citizens.
So, we have understood in the most general form the basic approaches to the issue of morality and found out that morality and human behavior are closely interrelated. We are now ready to try to obtain a general understanding of morality.
Why is morality needed?
As we discussed earlier, morality is closely related to human behavior. Moral norms act as a regulator of everyday relationships between people; deviations from generally accepted norms in society or any segment of society are categorically condemned and, in severe cases, can cause social isolation of such a “violator.” In particularly difficult cases, when the norms of morality and law in the state are almost identical, failure to comply with moral norms may result in criminal prosecution.
Then the question arises: why does society need such a regulator and “unifier” of relations? The fact is that, one way or another, people in society are forced to interact. And not only within one’s own social stratum, but also with representatives of other social groups. So, a business needs hired workers, a factory owner needs workers who can do hard physical work. A professor cannot always fix an electrical outlet or a water faucet himself, and then he will have to communicate with a person who knows how to do this, but who is not necessarily as well read and educated.
The situation is even more complicated when you have to interact with foreign guests and partners or go to another country on a business visit. As we have repeatedly mentioned, different countries have developed different cultural traditions and have different moral rules. Violating them will be frowned upon in any case, even if there is an understanding that the foreigner may not know something. That is why business etiquette requires you to familiarize yourself with the customs and traditions of the country before you board a plane flying to distant lands.
In order for representatives of all social groups and citizens of different countries to coexist peacefully and interact productively, we need uniform regulators of behavior or generally accepted norms that are understood and observed by all people, regardless of their social status and material wealth. Moral norms act as such a regulator.
Relatively speaking, in my circle of workers I can use foul language as much as I want, but when communicating with customers of services, they must be polite. Young beautiful girls can wear the shortest skirt in the world to a nightclub or for a walk, but in the offices of large companies and the banking sector it is necessary to maintain a business style so as not to offend the perception of people who may have a less liberated mindset, but noticeably more money, and make investment decisions, including based on their subjective impression of the company.
In the same way, any person can walk in any form and be photographed in any clothes or without it at home, but he cannot walk or be photographed as he wants in a foreign country if the laws of that country are not completely tolerant of the manifestations of individual freedom that we are accustomed to. In a foreign country, one should respect the norms and rules of morality adopted by the territory, both those prescribed by law and those existing behind the scenes.
This understanding of morality makes it possible to use this term as a synonym for the word “ethics”. Actually, when it comes to business ethics, medical ethics, journalistic ethics, what is meant is a set of rules of conduct for a particular professional group. What will happen if these norms, even if they are conditional and not always fixed somewhere, are completely abandoned?
It is easy to assume that it will become impossible to conduct an honest business, the concept of social responsibility of business will disappear into oblivion, keeping purely private information about one’s health secret will become much more difficult, and the press will begin to broadcast and print whatever they want. There are, of course, courts and administrative measures, but in an environment of complete lawlessness this will not be physically enough to protect the rights of citizens to privacy and basic respect for their own personality.
Nevertheless, attempts to “disown” generally accepted moral norms as regulators of human behavior are systematically made. We have already mentioned above the principles of moral relativism and moral nihilism. To a large extent, moral skepticism or the theory of moral errors (in English moral error theory) has something in common with them. The author of the theory is the Australian philosopher John Mackie, and he outlined his views in the work Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong [J. Mackie, 1977].
In a nutshell, according to this theory, morality as such does not exist at all, and what people call morality is nothing more than their invention. This is its difference from any of the sciences, where an objective law exists independently of consciousness. John Mackey gives an example that the atom has always existed, and the question of its search and discovery was purely technical, and was decided when scientific and technological progress reached such a level that the discovery of the atom became possible. In this regard, the search for universal or absolute norms of morality is impossible, because morality does not exist, and it is impossible to find norms for something that does not exist [J. Mackie, 1977].
In principle, moral error theory is useful in a number of cases. For example, when dictators need to justify repression or aggressors undertake to explain to their people that killing in the name of a better future is good. However, a complete rejection of morality, as suggested by the authors of the moral error theory, will lead to anarchy, because legal institutions alone are not enough to regulate relations in society.
Even if we admit that moral norms are very conditional, at the same time we will have to admit that they are still necessary. Therefore, even among supporters of the theory of moral errors, many believe that morality is omnipresent and multifaceted. Thus, its influence is felt even in solving such a seemingly purely scientific problem as combating climate change, as stated by the Austrian philosopher Thomas Pelzler in his work The Effects of Morality on Acting against Climate Change. [T. Pölzler, 2018]. Therefore, shouting about the uselessness of morality is a thankless task, and moral error theory itself should be applied based on the context of the situation.
So, we have found a lot of reasons why morality is needed by society. In the end, from a certain age people stop believing in Santa Claus and other fairy tales, but this is not at all a reason to abandon fairy tales completely, to stop writing, publishing and reading fairy tales to children. Any certified psychologist will give you a whole list of reasons why fairy tales are useful for children: they develop thinking, imagination, creative perception, etc. So why not leave morality as a kind of “fairy tale for adults”?
By the way, this is precisely the approach advocated by representatives of moral fictionalism (from the word “fiction”). The exponent of the principles of moral fictionalism is considered to be the philosopher Richard Joyce, known for his work in the field of moral psychology. He outlined his vision of the problem in the book Moral Fictionalism. How to have your cake and eat it too [R. Joyce, 2019]. Will people in this case follow morality if we take as a basis the statement that these are all fairy tales? Most likely, yes, because fairy tales also have educational value, and with the help of fairy tales it is possible to instill in children that friends should be helped, elders should be respected, and evil and injustice should be resisted.
In addition, such metaphors as morality, good, evil, love, hate are familiar to us, and with their help we can convey the necessary information and communicate successfully. To communicate even more successfully, we recommend taking our “Best Communication Techniques” and “Building Relationships” programs, but only after you finish reading this article. Continuing the topic, let's say that as soon as society realizes the redundancy of any restrictive moral norms, a gradual process of abandoning them begins.
Thus, if in past centuries it was considered the norm for the Inquisition to burn scientists and healers at the stake because their views contradicted church dogmas, over time the state and church moved to more civilized forms of discussion. It will apparently take a very long time to get rid of the prohibitions of the church, and how can one not recall the practice of separation of church and state adopted in the USSR. Countries where such steps have never been taken before are forced to fight the dominance of religious dogmas, as they say, “in a targeted manner.”
For example, in Italy, only in April 2021, censorship of films on moral and religious grounds, which had been in effect for more than a hundred years since 1914, was abolished [The Guardian, 2021]. Let us remember that the year of birth of cinema is considered to be 1895 and, thus, Italian cinema lived without church censorship only for the first two decades of its life.
It is estimated that in the post-war years, 274 Italian-produced films, 130 American-produced films, and another 321 films produced in other countries were censored in Italy. Among the “victims” were the works of the great Federico Fellini and Bernardo Bertolucci’s Oscar-nominated film “Last Tango in Paris,” which contained erotic scenes quite acceptable for an 18+ audience.
In the context of all of the above, one question remains: is it still possible for the existence of some moral norms that are universal for atheists and believers, businessmen and employees, pensioners and teenagers, and other various social groups in different countries on different continents?
Perhaps the answer can be the so-called “golden rule of morality”: do not do to others what you would not want done to you. It is possible, in accordance with the trends of the times, to remove the preposition “not” from the formulation and say differently: act towards others as you would like them to act towards you. There are actually a lot of formulations, but the essence is the same: “golden morality” advises weighing each of your actions against how a person would perceive a similar act towards himself.
The maximum number of formulations and references to the golden rule of morality from Antiquity to the present day is collected in the article by Doctor of Philosophy Abdusalam Huseynov “The Golden Rule of Morality” [A. Guseinov, 2003]. In subsequent years, Abdusalam Huseynov developed his observations in the work “The Golden Rule of Morality according to Confucius” [A. Guseinov, 2018]. Among other things, the scientist notes that this rule teaches people not to do what they condemn in the behavior of other people.
You will learn even more from the article “Morality: the diversity of concepts and meanings,” where the author collected the opinions of many scientists regarding the issue under consideration [O. Zubets, 2012]. We have already examined the main aspects and gradations of opinions, but if you are interested in more subtle details and deeper historical excursions, it is worth reading.
I think, in general, we have figured out what morality is and why we need it. We wish that moral standards work exclusively for your benefit and never burden you with redundancy...
And don't forget to share your opinion:
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Key words: 1Cognitive science, 1Self-knowledge
