Moral values ​​and the future of mankind. Moral values ​​and the future of mankind What are the moral values ​​of the future of mankind

"Moral values ​​and the future of mankind"

Moral values ​​are a concept that representatives of any worldview face. And they not only face, but also recognize their unconditional necessity for human life.

But here's what's interesting: at all times, all generations strove for a better future, fought for the values ​​that were supposed to help build it, but for some reason what appeared in reality usually did not correspond to the originally intended result of human aspirations - and a new ideal appeared. under which the existing moral values ​​were transformed.

Despite the abundance of ethical systems that tried to streamline the hierarchy of moral values, in fact, we can talk about two foundations on the basis of which everything else is built. These are either humanistic values, in which the measure of truth or falsehood is “man as the measure of all things” (according to the ancient philosopher Protagoras), or religious values, the criterion of truth of which is God and His Law.

A talented publicist of our time, editor of the section "Faith" in the journal "Foma", Alexander Tkachenko notes: " The moral life of an unbeliever is no better or worse than the Christian life according to the Gospel. They just have completely different goals and objectives. (...) Morality regulates relations between people, and Christianity leads a person to God».

Each of us freely chooses what will provide us with development in the pursuit of a high moral character, and the consequences of our choice are the materialized future that we create every second, conscious or not conscious of this process.

Emmanuel Kant said that what amazed him most in the world was the sight of the starry sky and the moral law within us - the law of conscience, which is universal for representatives of any nation, culture or religion.

Where do common moral values ​​come from, if each person is individual and original?

The ethics of humanism explains it this way: moral principles are rooted in the very nature of man, “as if genetically coded. At the same time, they have been honed historically on the experience of many, many generations of people. why they “began to seem absolute, and for some - given from above or supernatural”. That is, according to humanists, a person within himself has the ability not only to distinguish between good and evil, but also to reasonably choose good for himself so as not to perish.

But why does this “work” not for every person, and so far not only have people disappeared who, knowing “what is good and what is bad”, often act not in the way that it would be “good”, but also the very understanding good and evil in different people is absolutely not the same?

Why, given the moral law genetically embedded in a person, does a person remain capable of evil?

Most often, a person easily comes to the conclusion that he knows exactly “what to do” and “who is to blame” in a given situation, and for himself becomes a criterion for moral choice. The Minister of Education of Russia Olga Vasilyeva talks about this: “Morality is a rather subjective concept. What is normal for some is unacceptable for others. A person can be called moral or immoral, based only on his personal opinion. Everyone knows that any religion calls a person to virtue and respect for basic moral values. However, modern society puts freedom and human rights at the head of everything. In this regard, some of God's commandments have lost their relevance. So, for example, few people can devote one day a week to serving the Lord because of the busy schedule and fast pace of life. And the commandment “do not commit adultery” for many is a restriction on the freedom to build personal relationships”.

Thus, “modern society puts freedom and human rights at the head of everything”: any person becomes the creator of the moral law for himself and begins to think that he understands everything perfectly and can live the way he wants and understands. How many people - so many opinions, and today everyone has the right to act on the basis of "freedom of conscience" and expect a "tolerant" attitude towards his act.

However, the moral law has not ceased to exist because it is perceived in one way or another. The moral law cannot exist in isolation from faith, religion - and if a person wants to get to the bottom of the truth, and not find something convenient and familiar for himself, he will certainly make a discovery that will transform and fill his usual life with new meaning.

It is no coincidence that many prominent figures of science thought in the same vein. The famous German physicist and founder of quantum theory Max Planck believed: Religion and natural science are not mutually exclusive, as some people today believe or fear, these two areas are complementary and dependent on each other”, and “religion and natural science need faith in God. At the same time, for religion, God stands at the beginning of any reflection, and for natural science, at the end..

Why are we, completely trusting scientific discoveries famous scientists, “accidentally” do not pay attention to their statements about the natural existence of the Creator of this world? Unproven, unscientific? Scientists have already talked about this, for example, Paul Deer a k - an English physicist and Nobel laureate, had no doubt: “ One of the main features of nature is that the laws of fundamental physics are described in very elegant and powerful ways. mathematical theories. (…)Nature is thus constructed. It remains only to accept it. In other words, God is a very high level mathematician and He used the most perfect mathematics in creating the universe. Our feeble mathematical efforts allow us to understand the structure of only a small piece of the universe, and as further development mathematics, we hope to understand the structure of the universe better».

But a person who, with the help of his "weak efforts, understood only a small piece of the Universe," prefers to assert that in modern society, "some of God's commandments have lost their relevance."

In the Soviet Union, at one time, the 22nd Congress of the Communist Party proclaimed the moral code of the Soviet person: collectivism, mutual assistance, humane relations and mutual respect between people, simplicity, modesty, honesty and moral purity in personal, family and public life, concern for the upbringing of children. And this even agrees with the laws of Christian morality, but… The main commandments given in the Gospel are “love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind” and “love your neighbor as yourself.” The first and main foundation - the commandment to love the Existing God - was recognized as unnecessary - and the system built in the absence of this foundation collapsed after 70 years. And the Laws given by God have not changed since the beginning of the world, regardless of whether a person follows them or not.

What does Moral Theology say about the existence of a moral law? It says that man, by nature, has an innate ability to distinguish between good and bad in our behavior. But not because it is somehow “accidentally” “genetically coded” “in the process of evolution”, but because man was created by God as a trinity of body, soul and Spirit. The body gives a person the opportunity to physically exist in the earthly world; soul, according to St. Theophan the Recluse, “everything is directed exclusively to the arrangement of our temporary life - earthly (...) What is higher than this is none of her business”. But it is not the soul that distinguishes man from the animal, but the spirit - “that power that God breathed into the face of man, completing his creation, - Saint Theophan writes . - The human soul, although similar to the soul of animals in its lower part, is incomparably more excellent in its higher part. Spirit, breath at which God, united with her, exalted her so much above every non-human soul. (...) The Spirit, as a force that has come from God, knows God, seeks God, and finds rest in Him alone”.

Conscience is called the voice of God in man: precisely because from birth the Lord gave us the ability to distinguish between good and evil. God did not create evil, and evil is only the absence of God, the absence of good - just as darkness exists in response to the absence of light, and cold - to the absence of heat, the Lord did not deprive us of the ability to choose freely. And no matter how unnatural the craving for evil seems to a normal person, it is manifested by a person quite often. The apostle Paul said it best: The good that I want, I do not do, but the evil that I do not want, I do ...» (Rom. 7, 19)

Albert Einstein once wrote: “In vain, in the face of the catastrophes of the 20th century, many complain: “How did God allow it?” ... Yes. He allowed: He allowed our freedom, but did not leave us in the darkness of ignorance. The path of knowledge of good and evil is indicated. And man himself had to pay for the choice of false paths.

What is the falsity of our path, if we have from God the ability to act in the category of good and in the history of the development of the people we try to develop the habit of good, moral deeds?

What does a person live for in a world where he is “the measure of all things”? Each person then finds his own meaning in life within himself, thinking about what makes him happy. The concept of happiness is also different for everyone: someone is happy by creating charitable foundation and helping others, someone - by adopting a child, teaching children, treating people, creating masterpieces of literature and art. And that's great. But does everyone choose high goals in their life? Meanwhile, the philosopher Kant, already mentioned by us, believed that “ morality is not a teaching about how we should become happy, but about how we should become worthy of happiness»; because, in his own words, it is worth giving a person “everything that he wants, as at that very moment he will feel that this is everything - not everything". Why?

Yes, because we have already talked about the trinity of man and that the human spirit cannot find peace, happiness and joy without unity with God - otherwise a person will always lack something, and he will mistakenly believe that here - he will become happy: he will buy the right apartment or car, get a prestigious education or job, his merits will be noticed and highly appreciated, which will show the success of his self-realization in the world.

But the paradox is that there are more and more suicide reports in our world. Young, successful people stop wanting to live and cross themselves out of existence, although, for example, during wars or deadly epidemics, in oncology hospitals and in Soviet camps during repressions, such a tendency was not noticeable, although the living conditions of those people could now crush us its inhuman weight. They cherished every moment of life and - which is not accidental! Many have drawn strength from God.

From here, perhaps, the Orthodox point of view on the meaning of human life as a process of deification of a person will become more understandable. Not a system of prohibitions in this life with the selfish goal of earning a cushy place in eternal life with a strict God, but precisely for the purpose of salvation, unity with God, in which a person’s personality reaches the fullness of its disclosure, god-likeness. The meaning is not in obtaining pleasure for the body or spiritual feelings, but in changing oneself in the Spirit - transforming oneself in the light of the moral law given by God, so that a person can be with God, strive for it.

Thus, the question of the meaning of life is inevitably connected with the question of man's relationship with God. You can often hear from modern people: “I have God in my soul, I didn’t kill anyone, I didn’t rob, I’m no worse, and to be honest, I’m better than others - I don’t need God and His temple, everything is in order in my life.”

Why is it not needed? Is God not on my wishlist because I'm fine without Him and I'm already good enough without Him? Or the soul understands that approaching God will certainly change the habitual life and even the idea of ​​oneself - the moral law laid down in us by God has not yet died and gives us a weak signal. But a person is afraid of cardinal changes - let it be better that everything is calm, familiar, without shocks.

In problems, illnesses, troubles - a person begins to turn to God for help, so that it becomes the way a person wants. But, if everything is not done the way a person wanted, then he will most likely accuse God of injustice, indifference, indulgence of evil, indifference.

Once upon a time in antediluvian times, when Noah built his ark in front of everyone, everyone laughed at him and called him crazy, because “everything was in order” with those around him, although according to God’s moral Law “the corruption of people on earth was great” and “all the thoughts and thoughts of their hearts were evil at all times” (Gen. 6:5). Science recognizes the event of the Flood, but does not know its causes, because it is looking for them in nature, and not in the violation of the moral law by people. There were also Sodom and Gomorrah, which are now covered by the waters of the Dead Sea, the confusion of the languages ​​​​of the proud builders of the Tower of Babel, many wars, terrorist attacks, blood and sin, the consequences of which were not only the suffering and physical death of many people, but also the loss by people of a correct understanding of the moral law and its value nature.

Their future is our present with its disunity and pride. This is the acceptance by a person of our time of sin as a norm, allegedly realizing the rights and freedoms of a person. This is the inability of a person to distinguish between good and evil, since the Spirit of God, which helps a person to do this, is drowned out by a person’s concern only for the earthly needs of the body and soul. In a number of countries, we are already seeing discrimination against those who do not agree to recognize as the norm moral deviations in matters of gender and non-traditional morality.

The moral choice of modern man always has a future in perspective. The future of human history and its finale depend on whether he follows the path of life or death. She spoke about it and will continue to speak to the world Orthodox Church. Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) of Volokolamsk remarks on this: “Our task is to show modern man and modern society that Christian values ​​are not abstract ideas and not archaic superstitions, but truly the principles of life, the rejection of which can lead to the collapse of culture, society, and personal human destinies. . And the sooner humanity understands that morality is a way of survival of the individual, family, team, society, the entire human civilization, the less tragic will be its further history..

Today the Church is like Noah's Ark in the modern deluge of the loss of moral guidelines. She also calls for salvation, exhorts, but people are too fascinated by their imaginary "goodness" and too busy with the vanity of earthly goods to learn and not repeat the lessons of the past. But the future may not come if a person continues to make every effort to ensure that everything is as he wants - no matter what.

It is often said that the future is in the hands of the school teacher. This is certainly true. And the Church has always paid great attention to education and cooperation with its structures, because education is a process of helping a person to restore the integrity of a person in the unity of his bodily, mental and spiritual manifestations. This is not a pragmatic transfer of knowledge, which in the future will provide a person with the maximum high level income for enjoying the blessings of earthly life is the process of a person’s awareness of his humanity as a potential God-likeness, and in this area the Church has many points of contact with education. It is very important for us to give a person the right vector in his self-knowledge - in harmonizing his values ​​with God's moral Law.

According to Metropolitan Clement (Kapalin) of Kaluga, “Teaching is one of the most difficult types of service to the Fatherland and one's people. The teacher, regardless of whether he works in the state or church educational institution entrusted with a high spiritual mission. Each teacher must understand that in his place he realizes a matter, perhaps much more important than any concept and program, because he builds a person's life. But “The upbringing of a moral personality can be carried out only by those who themselves follow the path of spiritual and moral perfection in Christ. Otherwise, we will teach only external knowledge, and the behavior of young people will be shaped by other authorities. A priest, or at least a church-going person who has experience of spiritual life, should come to the school,” and our future and the future of our state depend on success in the implementation of this task today.”

It is no coincidence that today the educational platform of the Fraternal Diocesan Readings unites not only representatives of educational institutions of our Diocese, but also representatives of the city leadership, the leadership of educational structures and the priesthood. For just as the world created by God develops harmoniously in the interaction of all its various parts, so the life of society in a city, diocese, country and world is directly dependent on our joint choice of those moral values ​​and guidelines by which we all and each - on in our place - we will build the ark of salvation and fill it with truly valuable content for the future.

May the Lord bless us!

On January 23, 2012, at the plenary XX International Christmas Educational Readings, the Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate made a presentation on “Moral Values ​​and the Future of Humanity”.

Theory of planetary humanism

“If God did not exist, He would have to be invented,” Voltaire said, emphasizing the importance of religious faith for the moral health of man and society. Today, in the era of globalization, many secular politicians are hatching the idea of ​​"planetary humanism", that is, the introduction of a single worldview standard for all people on the planet. This standard will be based on the so-called "universal values", i.e. on the basis of secular morality, an integral part of which has become not the traditional moral principle inherent in every religion, but the idea of ​​human rights as the highest value. The leaders of modern secularism, liberal humanists, painfully reacting to any religious symbols and references to God, insist, in contrast to Voltaire, on a different expression: "If there is a God, we must keep silent about Him." God has no place, in their opinion, in the sphere of social life.

The history of mankind has repeatedly demonstrated the utopian nature and fatality of such humanistic theories which are built on a distorted anthropological paradigm, on the denial of traditional values, on the rejection of the religious ideal and the overthrow of God-established moral norms. Until recently, such theories could only be put into practice in a single country. However, the idea of ​​"planetary humanism" is dangerous in that it claims to world domination, declaring itself as a norm that all people should accept and assimilate, regardless of their national, cultural or civilizational identity. Let's try to understand what this can lead to.

Basic concepts of morality

In our opinion, humanity still exists only because there is a difference between good and evil, between truth and falsehood, between holiness and sin. However, modern civilization has begun to abandon these concepts, focusing on the freedom of the human person. In modern liberal philosophy there is no concept of sin, there is only a pluralism of the behavioral model: any behavior is considered justified and permissible if it does not violate the freedom of another person. As a result of this approach, the boundary between good and evil is erased.

At the same time, the ability to distinguish good from evil is the moral feeling that only man is endowed with. His ability to direct his will towards good or evil is called freedom. However, the main value of freedom lies not in the very ability to choose between good and evil, but in the choice of goodness: “You are called to freedom, brethren, so that your freedom is not an occasion to please the flesh, but serve one another through love” (Gal. 5: 13). Christianity has always emphasized that only following the path moral life helps a person gain freedom (John 8:32).

Representatives of historical secularism (Renaissance, Enlightenment, revolutionaries) put forward the idea of ​​freedom, excluding the Christian meaning from it. Ultimately, there was an absolutization of a person's personal freedom, reducing it to freedom of choice, and hence to the possibility of choosing in favor of evil. In practice, this absolutization resulted in moral and axiological relativism.

That is why the modern secular consciousness does not know such a thing as "sin". Although in his vocabulary there are such terms as "crime", "violation of the law", "guilt" and even "moral prohibition". But the concept of "sin" for someone who does not have and cannot have any absolute moral guidelines or criteria, simply does not exist. The concept of sin cannot be expressed in terms of secular ethics; it cannot be reduced to the elements of a system of moral guidelines, although it carries a pronounced moral content. Modern secular consciousness imposes on humanity the idea that there are no absolute moral norms like sin, that all morality is relative, that a person can live in accordance with the scale of moral values ​​that he himself creates for himself, and his scale can be different (up to opposites) from the conventional morality of the other.

However, a person differs from an animal precisely in that he is given by God another inner strength that is not given to animals - a moral principle. If morality is separated from religion, from the Divine principle, it will disappear. Recall F.M. Dostoevsky: "If there is no God ... therefore, everything is allowed." From an atheistic point of view, it is impossible to explain the existence of a moral law within each person, whether he is a believer or not. True, there are attempts to explain the manifestation of morality by a person’s culture, the circumstances of his life, or something similar, but they feel understated, because the difference between good and evil is the feeling of a person living anywhere on the globe and throughout any historical era, is the voice of his conscience, sounding throughout history. If, however, we tear morality away from real life, then people really turn into animals driven only by instinct. Indeed, why should someone sacrifice oneself for the sake of another, why should someone give something to another, when it is logical to strive for maximum acquisition? when a person strives to be "the measure of all things" himself. This opinion, which has a very long history, continues to be the rationale for liberal secularism.

There are many examples in history that prove the monstrous consequences of the introduction of "conditional morality": the Nazis came to power in Germany, who declared the destruction of the Jews moral, the destruction of believers in Bolshevik Russia as "enemies of the people." The perception of morality as a relative rather than an absolute category creates the potential for all sorts of conflicts, including armed ones. And when such a dangerous weapon as nuclear weapons is in the hands of a person, moral pluralism can turn into a tragedy for humanity.

Christianization and de-Christianization of the world

Absolute moral values ​​are our common foundation. It developed the entire human civilization until recently. Within the framework of the Christian value system, an idea of ​​the high dignity of a person was formed. Thanks to the Christian attitude towards man, slavery was condemned and abolished, a procedure for an objective trial was developed, high socio-political standards of life were formed, the ethics of interpersonal relations were determined, science and culture were developed. Moreover, the very concept of human rights arose not without the influence of the Christian doctrine of the dignity of man, his freedom and moral life. Since its inception, human rights have developed on the basis of Christian morality. In Christian patristic anthropology, these two categories - freedom and morality - are inextricably linked. The absolutization of one of these categories to the detriment of the other inevitably leads to the tragedy of the individual and society.

Today, before our eyes, there is a de-Christianization of life, a rupture of the relationship between human rights and morality. This is observed in the emergence of a new generation of rights that are contrary to morality, as well as in the justification of immoral acts with the help of human rights. Traditional morality no longer matters, what matters is the freedom of human choice. But, ignoring morality, in the end we cease to reckon with freedom. Morality is freedom already realized as a result of responsible choice, limiting itself for the good and benefit of the individual or the whole society. It ensures the viability and development of society, its unity. The destruction of moral norms and the promotion of moral relativism can undermine a person's worldview, which will lead to the loss of spiritual and cultural identity and, as a result, an independent place in history.

A few examples. See what's happening today with family values. The famous religious and political thinker of the 20th century I.A. Ilyin wrote: "History has shown ... great collapses and disappearances of peoples arise from spiritual and moral crises, which are expressed, first of all, in the disintegration of the family." Before our eyes, the traditional family is being abolished as an obsolete social institution. The ideals of family, marriage, marital fidelity, childbearing are ridiculed and spat upon. In the public space, the ideas of sexual promiscuity, debauchery, the permissibility of adultery, abortion, and homosexual relationships are cultivated. Moreover, the latter are equated with traditional marriage. More and more often the question is raised: if a person is free, then why is it necessary to limit the age of entry into sexual relations by law?

The destruction of the family is a time bomb capable of undermining the moral basis of entire generations.

Sometimes it seems that we live in some kind of upside down world. In a world where the scale of values ​​is overturned, where good is called evil and evil is good, life is death and death is life. Values ​​based on a religious moral ideal are systematically desecrated, and new moral norms, not rooted in tradition and contrary to human nature itself, are being introduced into the masses. Millions of unborn babies are robbed of their lives, while the elderly and the terminally ill are offered the "right to a dignified death." We are witnessing today an unacceptable attempt to level the differences between vice and virtue, between good and evil.

Pledge of the future of mankind

In the life of peoples, faith, morality and culture are inseparable from each other. Violation of this organic unity leads to disastrous results. The moral component should always underlie human existence, and it is impossible without religion, since only religion gives a person a solid moral foundation, only in the religious tradition there is an idea of ​​absolute moral values.

What a person lives for, on what values ​​his life is built, is the main question for representatives of both secular and religious worldviews. And in the end, the future of mankind depends on the answer to it: whether our peoples will multiply or shrink and gradually disappear, whether sin and permissiveness will reign in society, or whether a person will be guided by the absolute moral standards that are in the language religions are called God's commandments.

The internal moral law, invested by God in human nature, is irrational. He is recognized by the voice of conscience, which is stronger for some and weaker for others. It is thanks to religion that the internal moral law acquires specific cultural and rational categories, takes on the form of a human law: do not kill, do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not condemn. All law is based on morality. If the laws cease to correspond to the moral basis, then humanity refuses these laws.

The moral choice of modern man always has an eschatological perspective, because the course of human history and its finale depend on whether he follows the path of life or death. Our task is to show modern man and modern society that Christian values ​​are not abstract ideas and not archaic superstitions, but truly principles of life, the rejection of which can lead to the collapse of culture, society, and personal human destinies. And the sooner humanity understands that morality is a way of survival of the individual, family, team, society, the entire human civilization, the less tragic will be its further history.

If we want to have a spiritually strong, morally healthy and economically stable society in the future, then it is very important in the younger generation to form such a system of moral values ​​that would be oriented towards ideas of absolute good and evil. The young years of any normally developing individual is the most difficult and responsible time in the formation of the human personality. This is the time of searching for the ideal of life, this is the time of gaining the moral foundations of existence, and finally, this is a sharp rejection of the injustice and imperfection of the surrounding world. Remember the words of the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen: "I began to be afraid ... terribly afraid of youth ... Youth is retribution." Children, teenagers and young people these days are part of modern society, which is the most spiritually unprotected and experiences the most dramatic moral overload. They need spiritual support more than anyone today, because they are morally disoriented from the very beginning. early childhood. And the development of our society in the future depends on what system of values ​​will be embedded in them today.

That is why it is necessary to acquaint children and youth with the national basic culture of their people, which includes, among other things, religious culture. For many centuries, the Orthodox faith has been an integral part of the life of our people. This was reflected in the exploits of Russian holiness, and in the customs of piety, carefully passed down from generation to generation, and in the patriotic deeds of the heroes of the Fatherland, and in the monuments of writing, architecture, icon painting and church singing, as well as in native speech, permeated with biblical vision and understanding of the world and man. It is precisely from this national basic culture that the system of values, national values, which form both the individual and society, grows.

The school has always been involved not only in the intellectual upbringing of the child, but also actively shaped his personality. Today, when the "Fundamentals of Religious Culture" are included in the educational curriculum, the tasks of the school have become even more responsible and broader. It is through religious education at school it is possible and necessary to carry out the moral education of children, which in turn will contribute to the process of creating a strong personality, a strong family and, as a result, a reliable state.

Today, the Church faces an enormous missionary task, of which the His Holiness Patriarch Moscow and All Russia Kirill. It is also necessary to continue and expand educational and educational activities. In this work of public salvation, the Church and the school are natural co-workers. A task modern education to teach a person, on the one hand, to be sufficiently open to the perception of what brings him modern world, and on the other hand, to be able to preserve their national, spiritual, religious, cultural identity, and along with this identity to preserve the moral system of values.

To rescue the human personality from the embrace of anti-culture, anti-Christianity, to return it to God is an urgent task facing all of us today. I am confident that the 20th Anniversary Christmas Readings will make a worthy contribution to this cause.

Ethics, morality, morality

in the context of PEDAGOGY and CULTURE

Good , Beauty, Truth – pedagogy formula:

what should a person do? - do good

Through Beauty striving for Truth.

This is the ethics and principle of pedagogy.

The concepts of ethics, MORALITY and MORALITY in colloquial speech are used aspartially interchangeable.

Moral - a concept that is synonymous with morality (the Russian version of the Latin term "morality" comes from the word "nature").

Ethics - (lat ethics, from Greek ethike technology- the science and art of morality) -1. Science, the object of study of which is morality, morality as a form of social consciousness and as a type of social relations. 2. Norms of behavior, human morality.

Morality – from lat. moralis – related to temper, character, temperament, habits, – from mos, plural mores– habits, manners, behavior .

Ethics is the basis of life

AT recent times the word "ethics" has become a commonly used (and even commonplace) word due to the proliferation of words related to management topics - for example, such a phrase as "corporate ethics" has become commonplace, because of which there is a stable and erroneous idea that if in an organization, institution to establish their rules and norms of relations, then it will be its own, own ethics. Therefore, the word "ethics" requires reflection; this notion needs to be clarified.

It must be remembered that ETHICS is one, and the norms of relations, morality, are the same for everyone. These are the rules, the laws of life, uniform and obligatory for all. They have existed since ancient times among all peoples and are associated with universal human values, with the simplest forms of human relationships, with philanthropy . Tell the truth, keep promises, do not appropriate someone else's, do not harm your neighbors and everything around you, etc. - was considered the norm at all times; all peoples have always been encouraged - honesty, courage, generosity, modesty, and condemned - cruelty, hypocrisy, envy, cowardice...

To treat everyone with respect, to help each other in difficulties, not to be indifferent to people, to nature, the higher, to all living things - this is Ethics, and its three constituent foundations - GOOD, DUTY, CONSCIENCE form the norms of relations between people. In other words, do good- this is duty a man prompted by him conscience. This is the essence of ethics. Ethics is not ostentatious, external (false) relations, but the essence of life. AND Ethics is the cultural basis of life.

CULTURE and ETHICS from the point of view of modern scientific approach

Ethics is a fundamental concept, meaning life principles emanating from the very foundations of the universe. From the point of view of modern science, in the context of a holistic view of man and the entire cultural and historical process, culture plays a leading role in the cosmic evolution of mankind. We are talking about the nature of Culture as a cosmic phenomenon, where ethical moments form the basis of a person's connection with the Higher, the Cosmos. The understanding of Ethics, thus, significantly expands, including not only interpersonal and social meanings, but going beyond them, acquires a cosmic meaning.

The ethical and energetic process of human transformation (improvement of his inner qualities), as a whole, is inseparable from Culture, this is the main component of the path of his cosmic evolution.

So, you need to be aware that moral principles have their roots in the deepest foundations of the universe; the cosmic process is ethical in the deepest sense .

The time has come when society needs to realize the evolutionary necessity of observing the ethical principles of being at all levels - both at the external, behavioral, and at the internal, psychological, emotional and mental ( strive to think honestly time imperative).

How does pedagogical science consider the concept of MORALITY?

Morality is the basis of culture, directing human activity towards the assertion of the self-worth of the individual, the equality of people in their striving for a worthy and happy life; the subject of ethics.

Morality expresses the need and ability of people to unite, cooperate and live a peaceful life together according to laws binding on all. Morality is consciousness responsibilities(in a broad sense) a person in front of other people.

Morality reflects needs of the individual and society, based on the generalization of the experience of many generations. It contains humanistic perspective development of mankind.

Good (as opposed to evil) duty and conscience - the main categories of morality.

Goodness expresses the focus of morality on ideal humanity, duty is its imperative character, and conscience is its intimate-personal nature.

Morality with its values ​​of collectivism, love of neighbor, tolerance is basis of human spirituality and culture.

The denial of universal morality leads to a crisis of society and the individual.

In the context of the development of modern civilization, with an increase in potential dangers that threaten the existence of mankind, with an increase in the degree of risk of human activity that is harmful to the environment, a responsible attitude to morality, morality, recognition of the priority of universal human values ​​is a choice that has no alternative.

(Russian Pedagogical Encyclopedia.– M.: 1993)

How is morality expressed?

Concerning the human individual morality is the goal, the prospect of his self-improvement, the requirement. Its content is expressed in the form norms and ratings, which have a universal character, obligatory for all people, claim to be absolute (direct consciousness and regulate human behavior in all spheres of life - in work, in everyday life, in politics, in personal, family, intra-group, international relations, etc.).

Morality defines criteria for evaluating human goals and means of achieving them. Moral norms receive an ideological expression in general fixed ideas (commandments, principles) about HOW d about to act in different situations.

The Golden Rule of Morality

Essence of morality, associated with the ideas of all-humanity and personality, is embodied in one of the most ancient moral precepts, called the "Golden Rule" of morality:

"Do to others the way you would like them to do to you."

Along with the "Golden Rule" of morality, there were general humanistic principles: "Thou shalt not kill", "Thou shalt not lie", "Thou shalt not steal" . The strength and justification of moral precepts, always unconditional in form and extremely severe in content, lies in the fact that a person must, first of all, convert them to yourself and only through their own experience to present to others .

How do moral principles work?

Moral principles support (or, conversely, require to change) certain foundations, the way of life; morality belongs to the main types regulation human actions (such as law, customs, traditions etc.), but has significant differences from them. Legal prescriptions are formulated and implemented by special institutions; moral standards they rely on spiritual sanctions and authorities (conscience, the beauty of a moral deed, the power of personal example, etc.).

How is moral regulation carried out?

AT morality not only the practical actions of people are evaluated, but their motives, motives and intentions. In this regard, in moral regulation (actions for development in the right direction), a special role is played by the formation in each person of the ability to relatively independently determine their own line of behavior without external control, based on such ethical categories as conscience, honour, sense of personal dignity etc.

Forms of moral regulation are self-regulation, self-esteem and self-education.

moral education

The social significance of moral education is great and obvious: a society that neglects moral values ​​inevitably dooms itself to death. The upbringing of morality is focused on universal human values, the humanistic perspective of the history of society.

moral education is the upbringing of a person in his integrity, the formation of fundamental human qualities. This is one of the important aspects of the multifaceted process of personality formation, the development of moral values; development of his ability to focus on the ideal, to live according to the principles, norms and rules of morality, when beliefs and ideas about what should be embodied in real actions and behavior.

Eternal moral principles, which are concentrated in the memory of the heart, provide the spirit with IMMUNITY, ensure the integrity and stability of the moral guidelines of the individual in circumstances that are constantly changing.

Moral education - self-education and self-improvement

In general, the process of reproduction of morality lends itself to purposeful influence and conscious control, mainly in the form self-education, self-improvement.

Morality is not an ordinary goal that can be achieved in a certain period of time with the help of a certain set of specific actions; rather, it can be called the ultimate, highest goal, a kind of goal of goals that makes possible the existence of all other goals and is not so much ahead of, but at the basis of human activity itself. More precisely, morality can be called not a goal, but an ideal - a regulative principle and a scale for assessing human behavior.

The formula “the end justifies the means” is inapplicable to morality. Moral education as a rationally organized activity makes sense insofar as in the course of this activity morality turns from an ideal goal into a real one.

How can a person influence his own moral development?

A person can influence his own moral development through the cultivation of certain actions, behavior, summed up in moral character traits.

What are the actions, such are the moral qualities of a person .

Evenly distributing benefits in the exchange between people, a person learns to be fair; showing courage in the face of danger, he acquires masculinity.

At the same time, it is through actions that a person has a moral impact on other people. “Moral education begins where they stop using words” ( A. Schweitzer), it is carried out through the power of its own example. So you can avoid moralizing and bigotry- the source of social hypocrisy.

In this way, the act is the basis of the moral self-education of a person, as well as the main channel through which he morally influences those around him. So the educator becomes the educator: educating himself, a person simultaneously educates others.

Work on oneself is work on thought

Rightly said: only by deeds is a man known. However, all our actions and deeds are the consequences of our thoughts and motives. Thought is life, and life is moved by thought. Thought is the basis of creativity. According to scientific research, it can be seen and measured. As an entity on the spiritual plane, thought cannot be destroyed, but can be neutralized by opposing a thought of greater potential. That is why it is necessary to assimilate the meaning of thought and realize the responsibility for one's mental creativity.

We must create a better atmosphere in all our everyday life by cleansing thoughts.

taking care of purity thoughts, we will attract the best opportunities in all our lives and shorten the path of moral perfection.

pure thought - this is a thought that is devoid of selfish content, and every impure thought must be driven away, replacing her thought of the Common Good, to hasten to purify the spirit with broad creative thoughts about a better future. Selfless thoughts are the best space purifiers.

To learn to manage oneself, one's thoughts and to bring up responsibility for them means to learn call upon the forces lurking in the depths of consciousness. This is how each person can improve his strengths - by recognizing them.

The mastery of thought consists not only in its deepening and concentration. It is important to learn to get rid of painful thoughts and untimely, unnecessary thoughts. We must remember: nothing hinders development so much as heavy, motionless thoughts. Control over the thought will ensure its purification.

The culture of thought is the crown of human existence.

Let everyone remember that striving for moral perfection, he helps not only himself, but also acts for the Common Good.

Given the relationship between the concepts of “thought” and “feeling”, which form, along with the volitional sphere, human consciousness, a sense of responsibility becomes a necessary sign of a culture of thinking.

Cultivating a Culture of Feelings and culture of thinking constitutes the ethical and aesthetic basis of culture, the foundation for the formation of both an individual and the culture of society as a whole.

The ethical is inseparable from the aesthetic

Moral forms of behavior are beautiful in nature, and the beautiful, from the point of view of exacting aesthetic taste, cannot be immoral. This is how the ethical and aesthetic foundations of self-improvement are interrelated. This relationship is carried out through the Heart. (This is described in detail in previous materials prepared for the Day of Culture: “The path of Culture lies through the heart” and “Awareness of beauty will transform life” www.cultura.spb.ru)

Moral - at the heart of spiritual values

Human goals and values ​​are cultural, spiritual values. The criterion of such values ​​is their humanistic content; spiritual and cultural values ​​are eternal - in the process of their consumption there is no "wearing out".

They find their embodiment in objects, ideas, norms, beliefs; it's the same theories, goals, ideals, traditions, strong-willed and others personality traits, reflecting its humanistic orientation. Human values as the highest spiritual values are manifested in the forms of spiritual, moral, aesthetic development of people.

Spirituality and culture of personality

Spirituality- a property of the soul, consisting in the predominance of spiritual, moral and intellectual interests over material ones (Russian Dictionary).

Spirituality- the concept is broader than religiosity or morality.

Spirituality- the main characteristic of culture.

Spirit , spirituality is the foundation of a healthy statehood and great culture. Spirituality of the individual- this is freedom and the will to improve; the ability to see the consequences of one's actions for people, for the Common Good. The level of spirituality of a person is affected by: consciousness, thinking, intellect, as well as feelings, imagination, intuition, conscience, will, creativity.

Intelligence, balanced with love for everything beautiful, determines the spiritual orientation of the individual.

The level of a person's spirituality is determined by the level of development of his consciousness. The most effective approach to spiritual improvement is the aspiration to cultural and moral values ​​and their affirmation in the life of every day. So a person interacts with something more perfect and beautiful.

A necessary condition for the harmony of this interaction is such a life of a person among people, the leading quality and the main result of which is selfless, active love. A person who raises his personal interests to a cult and embarks on the path of egoism is incapable of such love and cannot be imbued with the interests of the Common Good. He destroys his spiritual integrity and departs from the law of unity. Then the spiritual world of a person is deformed, splits. Culture, or striving for the Light, for the Beautiful, helps a person to avoid such a state of mind.

« Just don't talk about spirituality, don't frighten us with such words!”- says the host of the Kultura TV channel during a discussion of vital issues. But it is precisely spirituality that is the question of life, the question of norms. What reasonable explanation can be given for the reluctance to discuss this? The general tendency of the media to shift the emphasis from the most important and the most important to the secondary - this is the peculiarity of the work of modern media.

Therefore, the work of a teacher in the implementation of moral education today is much more complicated. It bears the main burden of spiritual education. (Cm. " Teacher is a spiritual concept »)

References:
1. Anufriev V.P., Anufrieva E.I. Energy of our children / / Children of the new consciousness: Materials of the international general-scientific. conferences. 2006 – M.: International Center of the Roerichs, 2007.– http://lib.roerich-museum.ru/node/967
2. Valitskaya A.P. New School of Russia: Cultural Model / Monograph. - St. Petersburg: Publishing house of the Russian State Pedagogical University im. A.I. Herzen, 2005.
3. Gindilis L.M., Frolov V.V. Philosophy of Living Ethics... //Questions of Philosophy. - No. 3. - 2001. - S. 85-102.
4. Sokolov V.G. Living Ethics and the New Paradigm of Culture // Culture and Time. - 2008. - No. 1. - P. 4-17

Federal state budget educational

institution of higher education

"Tula State University"

Institute of Social and Human Sciences

Department of Theology

Dear colleagues!

We invite you to take part in the work of the IX correspondence

International Scientific and Practical Conference

"MORAL VALUES AND THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY"

Directions of the conference

1. Moral foundations of patriotism in modern Russia.
2. The place of Christian virtues in the system of moral values.
3. Techniques and methods for realizing the educational and upbringing potential of the patristic heritage and Orthodox hagiography in secular and Orthodox educational and upbringing institutions.
4. Russian family: past, present, future.
5. Missionary and social service of the Russian Orthodox Church.
6. The value of Orthodox local history and pilgrimage tourism in the formation of moral values.
7. Traditions of Orthodox morality in national culture and literature.
8. The moral code of a doctor in the context of Orthodox dogma.

Applications for participation in the conference and articles fully prepared for publication are accepted until March 1, 2018. Together with the articles, a photo of the author is sent: size 9x12. The application must indicate the full name, academic degree, academic title, place of work, postal and email address, contact numbers. Collection scientific works based on the materials of the conference is published at the expense of the organizers.

The article should have the following structure:

1) in the upper right corner of the UDC;

2) the title of the article in Russian and English(bold font, capital letters, center alignment, no hyphenation allowed);

4) place of work, city, country, E-mail for contacts in Russian and English (regular font, center alignment);

5) annotation in Russian and English: 3-4 sentences of about 300 characters, which set out the goals, methods and results of the work, highlight new and important aspects of the study (regular font, width alignment);

6) keywords: 10 words characterizing the article in Russian and English (regular font, justified alignment);

7) main text (regular font, justified alignment);

8) a list of used literature in alphabetical order, with consecutive numbering, drawn up in accordance with GOST R 7.0.5 - 2008. References in the text to the corresponding source from the list of references are in square brackets, for example: . Subscript links to literature and footers, use of tabs and automatic lists are not allowed.

Classroom is held to familiarize students with biblical history Christmas, expanding knowledge about the origins of the Christmas holiday, getting to know the value orientations in human life, creating conditions for the formation of socially significant personal qualities and value orientations in children, educating a spiritual and moral personality.

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Moral values ​​and the future of Russia.

Open class hour in 5 "B" class as part of the Christmas readings.

Event goals:

Tutorial: familiarization of students with the biblical history of Christmas, expansion of knowledge about the origins of the Christmas holiday, acquaintance with value orientations in human life;

Developing: development of cognitive abilities, interpersonal communication skills, cognitive activity of students; development of mental functions of students: thinking, emotions, attention, will, memory; formation of self-control skills;

Educational:to create conditions for the formation of socially significant personal qualities and value orientations in children, to promote the upbringing of a spiritual and moral personality, to provide an opportunity for the development of a culture of relationships.

Necessary equipment and materials:

• multimedia installation
• Video "Children about Christmas"
• Video "Christmas" cartoon
• Phonograms of the song "By the Way of Kindness", the musical composition "Silent Night"
• Bible
• Pens, sheets of paper
• Cards for the game "Values ​​of life"
• Cards for the game "Roads of Life"

Training:

• Performances of children (poems and parables).

Event progress

1. Emotional mood - motivation (5min)

Video "Children about Christmas"

Conversation with children.

- What is "Christmas"? What does this holiday mean to you?

1. Main part.

Conversation with an asterisk

Boy : You until dawn
In the sky, asterisk, you burn!
And when I go to sleep
You blink at me again.
Listen star, tell me
Is it good to live in heaven?

Star : You are still a baby:
Play during the day, sleep at night
And you don't know much about God
What mom said.
But I will answer you:
Eternal joy in heaven.

Boy: Asterisk, you have been for many years
You shine on people on earth.
I'll ask you a question:
How was Christ born into the world?

Star: Oh, I remember everything perfectly!
That star, my sister,
Told all the people
That He came to Bethlehem.
It was so long ago,
But I remember this night
We, heavenly bodies,
Shine brighter that night
And furtively, through the cracks,
They looked at the King of kings.
The angels sang wonderfully
Don't forget this song
Heavenly voices...
If only you could hear for yourself!

Boy : I'm not a star, I'm a boy
Plus, I'm too young...
You know, asterisk, it's a shame -
I didn't see anything:
No Savior, no sky
I haven't been to Bethlehem either.
Become a star like you
I would have seen everything from above!

Star : Keep your head up baby
After all, you're sad in vain.
You are happier than many stars:
After all, Christ is with you!

2. The teacher's story about the Biblical origins of the holiday "Christmas"(7 min).

Christmas is not just a holiday when gifts are given, it is the beginning of a new era, marked by the coming of God to us, to earth, to save us from evil, illness, death and give us eternal life. Let's listen to the story of the birth of Jesus, which is recorded in the very ancient book- Bibles.

Bible passage reading: Matthew 1:18-25 with teacher's comments.

The birth of Jesus Christ was like this:
after the betrothal of His Mother Mary to Joseph,
before they come together,
It turned out that She was pregnant with the Holy Spirit.

Joseph is her husband,
being righteous and not wanting to publicize it,
wanted to secretly let her go.

But when he thought about it,
behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream
and said, Joseph son of David!
do not be afraid to accept Mary as your wife,
for what is born in her is from the Holy Spirit;

will give birth to a Son,
and you will call his name Jesus,
for he will save his people from their sins.

And all this happened
may the word of the Lord come true through the prophet,
which says:

Behold, the Virgin shall conceive and give birth to a Son,
and they will call his name Immanuel,
which means God is with us.

Getting up from sleep
Joseph did as the Angel of the Lord commanded him,
and took his wife, and did not know her,
How at last she gave birth to her firstborn Son,
and he called his name: Jesus.

1. Watching the cartoon "Christmas"(5 minutes).
2. Why was Jesus born? (2 minutes)

This little boy grew up and gave His life for each of us. When he walked our land, he healed, resurrected, wiped away tears and gave people hope.

In the Bible we read (John 3:16): "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

1. Reading poems by students 5 minutes)

• Long gone out in the winter mist
  eastern star,
  But not forgotten on earth
  Birth of Christ.
  Like preaching love
  And the truth of the Divine
  God is born again every year
  For the holiday of Christmas

It is our task to preserve moral values, remembering every year the birth of Jesus, God, the Savior. Our future, the future of our entire country, Russia, depends on what principles we are guided by in life. People, rejecting spiritual and moral values, risk living in a society where evil, theft, betrayal, selfishness reign. What society would we like to live in? Society, country - it's you and me. If you want to change the world, start with yourself.

Game "Moral values"

On the board are cards with life values, real and false. Choose those by which the guys would like to live, false ones are removed. The choice is made frontally: the teacher touches a card with some value, the children clap if they agree to live on it, stomp if not.

1. Game "Chance and Choice" (6 min).

Divide into groups of 4 people (2 desks each). Choose a card with a situation and determine what chance life sends, and decide whether to use this chance.
You've got money, and the first spring flowers are on sale on the corner.
Your classmate came with tearful eyes.
In the middle of the street stands alone the baby.
You see - in the first row a lady is sitting on a broken chair.
During the lesson, a classmate offended the teacher.
Something falls out of the bag of the person in front.
A lost puppy with a broken leash runs around the yard.
You found in the hallway of the school cellular telephone.
Your little sister or brother broke your toy.

1. The Parable of the Wise Man and His Disciple (2min).Prepared students tell (by roles).

The sage and the disciple sat at the gates of their city. A traveler comes up and asks: “What kind of people live in this city?” “And who lives where you came from?” - asks the sage. “Oh, rude, evil, unkind people,” the traveler replies. “Here you will see the same thing,” the sage replied.

After a while, another traveler came up and also asked what kind of people were in this city. “And who lives where you came from?” - asked the sage.

“Beautiful people, kind and sympathetic,” the traveler replied. “Here you will find the same,” said the sage.

“Why did you say to one that bad people live here, and to another - good people? - the student asked the sage.

The sage replied, “There are good people and bad people everywhere. It’s just that everyone finds only what he knows how to look for – good or evil.”

1. The final game "The road of goodness" (5 min)

Each has a sheet of paper on the desk, students use a marker to circle their palm and write their name on it in the center. And then turns onsong "Dear Good".While it is playing, the children pass the sheet with their name around in a circle, when the song is interrupted, the transfer of the sheets stops and the students write the words of wishes on their fingers, then the song continues, and they again pass the sheets in a circle. At the end of the song, the sheets return to their owners.

1. Final word of the teacher (1 min).

The Nativity of Christ is a holiday, the meaning of which is in the understanding of what the born baby Jesus did for mankind. He was born to show his boundless love for people. The grown baby - God - gave his life on the cross for each of us, so that we become better, have hope for eternity.

This holiday teaches us to believe, educates our heart so that we learn to forgive, sympathize, understand each other, tolerate the shortcomings of others - in a word, so that we learn to love the people around us.