The concept of moral values ​​of the individual. Moral values ​​of a person What moral values ​​mean to me

We all live in a society, we interact daily with a lot of people: relatives, colleagues, and just strangers: passers-by on the street, in public places - shops, cafes, cinemas. To make this interaction as comfortable as possible, society has adopted certain rules of conduct, which are usually called public morality. On the one hand, it is clear that if each individual does only what he wants, regardless of the convenience of others, life in a society of such people will become much more difficult and even dangerous. How can you exist calmly if you don’t know what to expect from others? Therefore, moral standards are protection for people. On the other hand, public morality in some matters is often a stumbling block, and sometimes there are those who declare themselves free from all morality. We usually call such people immoral, socially dangerous, and sometimes they deserve to be called villains or tyrants.

If morality is a certain framework, norms by which humanity regulates relationships within society, and they, as a rule, are duplicated in the legislation of any civilized country, then moral values ​​are what every person is guided by when he behaves this way and not otherwise. These are beacons that people are guided by on their life path. Well, or they are not oriented - here, of course, options are possible.

How are the moral values ​​of each person formed? Initially, of course, they begin to take shape in the family. It is the relatives who tell the baby what is good and right, and what cannot be done. The moral feelings of preschoolers are formed according to the accepted moral standards in the family - and they can be different depending on the social status, country of residence, religion and many other aspects. Children at this age do not yet question what adults say, they are guided by the behavior of their parents and elders, so a certain foundation of morality is laid even then.

The child grows, goes to school, begins to communicate with classmates, with teachers. There comes a time when it is the authority of peers that can determine the behavior of a student. As a rule, this happens in adolescence, and to one degree or another affects any, even the most “correct” and domestic children. The fact is that at such a critical age, the child is not yet able to focus on inner freedom and his own desires and concepts, it is more important for him not to differ from his peers, and parents and teachers, as it seems to him, only limit his freedom.

The influence on the formation of moral beliefs and rules of behavior continues into adulthood. The environment at the institute, at work, and, finally, the endless stream of information from TV screens, from the Internet - all this is simply impossible to ignore. And this, of course, determines the scope of what a person considers permissible and what is inappropriate. Middle-aged and older people, for the most part, consider their moral attitudes unshakable, which cannot be said about the younger members of society. If drug addiction, for example, or child abuse is condemned now just as it was decades ago, then the attitude towards some other vices has become more tolerant.

The morality of the bulk of society in the country is a parameter whose importance should not be underestimated. It determines the spiritual state of the whole nation, and this is closely connected with its security, and with the demographic situation, and, ultimately, with the level of well-being of the people.

Now the vast majority of countries that consider themselves civilized are oriented towards building a humane society, that is, one in which human life is the highest value. The concept of spiritual and moral development and education of the individual in a humane society is based on the idea that all people have equal rights and have an equal degree of freedom. On the same foundation stands the concept of spiritual and moral education of the personality of a citizen of Russia. Despite the fact that in our country in recent decades there has been a significant change in values, the basic, highest spiritual and moral values ​​remain unshakable. Whatever the political system, whatever changes take place in society, I want to believe that such values ​​as kindness, justice, mercy, honesty, love, family and loyalty will always be valued above all else. It is these concepts that fill the human soul with light, make a person happy.

No matter how much power, power, wealth are valued in modern society, deep down everyone understands how all this is unsteady, how superficial it is, while true values ​​always remain with a person, because they make a person a higher being, worthy of respect. It is especially noticeable who is worth what in difficult conditions for survival. Only a person who has an inner core, clearly understanding what is good for him and what is evil, is able not to lose his human appearance in such a situation.

When moral degradation occurs, a person is doomed to death, because for him there are no longer any guidelines, meaning and fulfillment of life. In the end, the true meaning in life appears only when a person is useful, when he is needed: relatives or at least to himself. Even ancient philosophers came to this conclusion. They also argued that it is not the fear of punishment that will most certainly keep a person from an evil deed, but conscience - the most severe judge.

The well-known saying of the German philosopher Hegel: “Morality is the mind of the will” remains true to this day. Every day we make a choice: to act, one way or another, guided precisely by our internal attitudes. Moral and ethical values, which we are guided by, are the restriction of our freedom, according to them we control our actions. What is important in this, what stands above our desires? As a rule, when choosing a line of conduct, a moral person will weigh not only the degree of his desires, but also coordinate them with how the result of his behavior will affect the freedom, well-being, and mood of another person. Moral behavior is behavior adjusted in such a way as not to harm the neighbor, because, as you know, personal freedom ends where the freedom of another person begins.

Sometimes it is very difficult to make a choice, precisely because it is difficult to calculate and weigh the possible consequences. And any act of a human being can be interpreted in completely different ways. There is black and there is white, and as you know, there are a great many shades. It is easy to condemn some act that seemed cruel or frivolous without knowing all the nuances. It is worth starting to understand more deeply - and moments are revealed that make you think and understand that everything is not so simple. Therefore, a moral person not only himself will never harm another person, but also will not allow himself a sharp condemnation of another. Of course, there are actions that are absolute evil, no matter how you look at them. They are usually associated with violence, murders, mass destruction of people, but we are not talking about this now, but about those manifestations of morality that we encounter every day.

Religion is the bearer of moral norms, and it cannot be underestimated, because it also regulates the relationship between people and the norms of everyday behavior, and not just the attitude of a person to God and the church. In most world religions, God is the embodiment of goodness and justice, and the main commandments are the most important life guidelines: do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not commit adultery. Perhaps, at the moment when a certain shift or substitution of values ​​occurs, the role of religion in the life of society increases - it contributes to the unification of people, is a fulcrum in an unstable world. Morality and religion, of course, are most closely related, but at the same time, history knows many examples when the most monstrous evil was done under the slogan "God willing".

So, moral and spiritual values ​​are the foundation without which no, even the most high-tech society, can survive.

Moral values was last modified: April 20th, 2019 by Elena Pogodaeva

Everything that is dear to a person, vital, which determines his attitude to reality, is usually called values. They were formed along with the development of mankind, its culture.

What are the values?

  • 1. Material (contribute to life):
    • - protozoa (food, clothing, housing, household items and public consumption);
    • - higher order (tools of labor and material means of production).
  • 2. Spiritual - values ​​necessary for the formation and development of the inner world of people, their spiritual enrichment.

Both material and spiritual values ​​are the result of human activity. Spiritual values ​​are special.

What are they and what impact do they have?

Books, paintings, sculptures are not just things. They are designed to evoke high feelings in a person. But they also have practical significance - their content affects the life of an individual and society as a whole.

Science, art, universal moral and moral norms - without mastering them, there can be no spiritual person.

So, the most important condition for the formation of a full-fledged, moral personality is the assimilation of spiritual values. But a moral person is not just the assimilation of spiritual values, but, most likely, it is the quality of our achievements, relationships, which is ultimately an indicator of our internal maturity. And, of course, each person independently selects, forms his own values, he takes them from society not automatically, but consciously, as if accumulating what he personally considers most necessary.

What kind of person do we call moral?

Someone who has made the demands of society on a person requirements on himself and lives, studies, communicates with others in accordance with these internal laws of morality.

His consciousness and behavior are united, and they are based (on what?) on universal human values ​​and norms. A person can fully form his morality, become a morally mature personality only as a result of self-education. Who, if not the person himself, can develop in himself the consciousness that his behavior must be coordinated with the interests of other people, of society?

Moral self-education is the upbringing of all the above feelings and qualities, and they can be formed in each person on the condition (what?) that the person himself is interested in this and strives for this.

Moral self-education opens the only true path in life - the affirmation of kindness, sincerity, mutual care and responsibility, a real (civil) attitude to one's work, gives a person the will and ability to never turn off this path.

“The whole morality of a person lies in his intentions” (J.J. Rousseau).

“Good and moral are one and the same” (L. Feuerbach).

“Morality is the science of the conventions people make in order to live together in the happiest way. The true goal of this science is the happiness of the greatest number of people ”(K. Helvetius).

Therefore, nothing in the thoughts, actions, or deeds of a person should be to the detriment of another. So?

“Enjoy and give pleasure without harming yourself or others - this is the essence of morality” (Shamfer).

What determines the norm of human life?

Those values ​​that a person is guided by and serves.

What should be decisive in human life - material or spiritual? Why?

If the material dominates, it primarily nourishes and pleases the body. The soul is secondary here.

Hence the danger arises that in the name of material value one can trample on human interests and the person himself, his freedom, will, dignity, even life. In the arisen rivalry and struggle for material goods, the action of the principle “everything is permitted!” arises. No barriers, no prohibitions - chaos.

If spiritual values ​​predominate, the soul becomes richer with a sense of belonging to others, a sense of the joy of life. Then everything done by a person cannot harm another person. This is where the moral law comes into play.

He protects everyone and makes people's lives safe. That is why the commandments arose in a person's life, protecting his soul from evil. Hence the spiritual values ​​that protect life, protect it and man as the highest value.

Man has two worlds:

One - who created us,

Another - which we are from the century,

We create to the best of our ability (N. Zabolotsky).

Here are some simple rules for a person who aspires to follow the spiritual path. These rules are based on views on spiritual values:

  • 1. Every day, every hour, every second, learn love - all-encompassing, self-denying, sincere, wise. Learn to love all living things: yourself, the people around you, nature, your planet, without demanding anything in return;
  • 2. Always remember that there are other people nearby and any of your actions or inactions will affect them and change: at least - mood, as a maximum - life. Never do to others what you do not wish for yourself, and do not use a person as a means;
  • 3. Perform any of your actions consciously. Look for joy and meaning even in simple everyday activities: walking, talking, working. It will give you a feeling of real life;
  • 4. Know how to take responsibility from the consequences of small actions and ending with your life. Man's fate is largely a consequence of his own actions;
  • 5. Work day by day to change yourself. Strive to become cleaner, kinder, more merciful. Learn to sacrifice your desires and ambitions for the sake of others. Look for opportunities to develop your mind, heart, and body;
  • 6. Look for harmony in everything. Truth, as a rule, is in the middle between extremes;
  • 7. Turn your thoughts about the spiritual into actions: help specific people with specific deeds.

Moral values, the ethics of humanism form the core of the humanistic worldview. The space of moral relations is exceptionally vast; it embraces all spheres of a person's inner world and all areas of his external social relations. Always and everywhere a person can or should strive to behave morally, although we are far from always absolutely sure of the beneficialness of our moral act or that we acted in the best way, since we often make a choice between different moral values, inevitably bringing some of them as a sacrifice to others.

The catalog of moral values ​​is made up of those realities and actions that we not only evaluate, but approve, i.e. we evaluate them as kind, good, good, etc. It includes the qualities of humanity, which constitute the position of the individual, the natural basis of her morality, as well as moral principles and norms of behavior, which are also determined by the qualities of a person. P. Kurtz in the work “Forbidden Fruit. The Ethics of Humanism offers the following catalog of general moral standards: honesty, truthfulness, commitment, sincerity, fidelity, devotion, dependability, benevolence, benevolence, no harm to others, no harm to private or public property, consent to sexual relations, beneficence, decency, gratitude, responsibility, justice, tolerance, cooperation.

The most general category for denoting moral values ​​is the category of good (good), which covers the entire indefinitely large set of actions, principles and norms of moral behavior. One of the most difficult questions of critical ethical research or ethical reason is the problem of the origin of the nature of the good, the moral. In this regard, questions about the origin of the ethical are being debated: Is it given to people from above?

Is it natural or a priori (from birth) inherent in man? Is it generated by society or instilled in it by it? In addition, the question is raised whether there are any general moral principles that go beyond individual, national and cultural characteristics and are inherent, in principle, to all people? Can we consider their status objective, i.e. independent not only of man, but also of society and even God (as Socrates would say)?

The ethics of humanism tends to answer in the affirmative the question of the existence of general moral principles. Thus, according to Kurtz, “there is a core of principles that we recognize as binding. We can apply the term “general” to these “rules” only insofar as we are talking about the most fundamental and widespread principles, while at the same time not recognizing this quality for many other layers of moral principles open to further critical examination. I ... I believe that there are certainly basic moral principles which must govern the relations between civilized individuals, and which are deeply rooted in social traditions, which are supported by habit and custom, perform the functions of law, and are even considered sacred in various religious beliefs... they can be known in an authentic way and have objective foundations.These principles can be justified in the course of rational discourse and based on practical ethical wisdom.

Humanistic ethics is aware that ethical principles are formed in society and, in this sense, have a social origin and existence. General ethical norms mean both social and, in essence, equally understood and evaluated by the prevailing majority of people, the same for everyone and for everyone. At the same time, the natural prerequisites of the ethical in man are no less important for understanding the genesis and nature of morality. A person can initially be ethical, because from birth he contains a huge moral potential, a kind of matrix of an infinite number of moral inclinations, inclinations, opportunities, etc. From this point of view, society may not be able to awaken and develop even a thousandth or a millionth of them. However, all these questions belong to purely theoretical areas, to a meta-ethical level, on which few people can feel quite comfortable (like on the top shelf of a steam room): logicians, analytical and linguistic philosophers, specialists in the field of normative ethics and other abstract thinkers.

The style of thinking and psychology of humanism, in which there is a measure of healthy skepticism and practicality, at some point feels the need to be removed from theoretical disputes, motivated by the fact that they tend to be endless, i.e. threaten to turn into a bad infinity, that black hole into which our intellectual and moral energy will flow. Humanism, without abandoning critical research, suggests here a certain limitation, "suspension", looking back and restraint, guided at the same time by practical wisdom, common sense, sobriety, and even some stoicism as resignation to the fact that not only can talk here not solve practical problems moral, but it is also easy to replace the very reality of the moral in man and the reality of objective goodness with the reality of theoretical discourse.

Personally, I believe that the main thing for a humanist is to proceed from the already potentially or actually existing humanity of each person, as the most promising and reliable starting point, the beginning in which and from which here and now begins the formation, disclosure, functioning and development of moral feeling and thinking, where the constitution and enrichment of the world of moral values ​​and moral perfection of a person begins. No matter how great the role of the environment, nature, society and, possibly, other external realities in a person's life, it is he who is the most obvious carrier, subject and creator of moral realities. A matured, matured person is able to radically change priorities. As an independent being, he is capable of endlessly mastering, cultivating and doing good. And in this sense, to be an active, leading, target principle, in relation to which everything else: society, nature, other substantial realities, can at best act as a condition, environment and means for a person.

One of the important forms of practical evidence of the actual, and not genetic, moral-ontological priority of the individual is its moral improvement.

If the vast majority of our moral deeds can be roughly compared with speed, then moral ascent can be likened to acceleration, since here we are not talking about the “quantity” of good deeds we do, but about the quality of the ethical in a person. There are a lot of ethics that not only prescribe to the individual a certain catalog of values ​​and norms of behavior, but also the principles of improvement. Among them, for example, are the ethics of love, the ethics of humility (non-violence), the religious ethics of redemption and salvation, and so on. They all offer cultivation, respectively, in love, humility, service, prayer, and so on.

Humanism does not offer an ethics that is fixed and concentrated on any one moral value, ethical principle, or positive quality of a person. In short, the ethics of humanism is the ethics of humanity. But humanism seeks to supplement such a definition with some kind of perspective of self-actualization, dynamics. Therefore, humanistic ethics can be called the ethics of free and meaningful self-determination, self-realization, improvement, the ethics of ascent, the ethics of humanistic achievements, the ethics of human creativity as a creative improvement of human humanity.

The field of humanistic improvement is inexhaustible. It consists of self-improvement and improvement of social moral relations. In addition, it includes the improvement of moral aspects in relations with nature, the unknown and nothingness, i.e. offers the possibility of moral perfection in the sphere of all actual and possible transsubstantial communications. Perfection, the very striving for it, is the absolute imperative of humanity.

Absolute because it expresses the central quality of man - the quality of being, of being as such in the depths of its absoluteness, an irrelevant being, causa sui. Everything that is not substantial is not capable of improvement, more precisely, of self-improvement. The ascent of man demonstrates, proves to him and others his absoluteness and its dynamism. Perfection is a manifestation of the substantiality and absoluteness of man. In the sphere of morality, it acquires the features of a personal moral absolute imperative. But if perfection is connected with the absoluteness of the personality, then perfection is a synthesis of the realization of this imperative, the uniqueness of the individual and the objective conditions of perfection.

In other words, if perfection is in some sense absolute, then perfection is unique and relative. The standards of ethical excellence are not absolute and objective, but relative and subjective, since their center is immersed in the individual. Perfection is always the perfection of a particular person, although it can also be expressed in some completely objective achievement, for example, setting a world record in high jumps. Excellence is related to the level of talent and personality development. It is possible to achieve perfection in those areas of human life that may be considered by the majority as of little value, however, for a person, achieving perfection in this, and not otherwise, can be the most important way of self-affirmation and a source of a sense of moral ascent and achievement.

Cultivation is not the privilege of the aristocrats, the lucky ones, or the chosen ones, but the prerogative of any person. As Kurtz rightly remarks, “human life, if it is lived with dignity, is amazing and wonderful in itself. It is an exalted and distinguished life, which is like a blossoming chestnut tree or a majestic lion. We must understand what it means to really be human, and not blindly believe in genius or holiness - after all, we are all only people.

However, if perfection captures the uniqueness of a person and the characteristics of the conditions of his existence, and therefore perfection is relative and unique every time, then perfection, any perfection, has some common features. The main ones are achievement, persistence and creativity. All of them are included in the content of moral improvement as an important ethical value. Without achievements, there is no perfection, since they are the actual indicators of his results. Constancy here is also an important circumstance, since accidental success or rest on what has been achieved cannot be considered as signs of ascent and perfection.

It is equally essential for the improvement of creativity, i.e. search for a new result, a new path to it, the discovery of a previously unknown, original in the course of improvement. In a number of cases, it does not matter whether it is the "invention of the bicycle" or the "discovery of America", it is important that the person did it himself, independently made a creative breakthrough for himself and others.

Since improvement is such a value process that involves a rather large number of human qualities and values ​​in its orbit, it is necessary to at least list them so that our idea of ​​improvement is more complete and concrete. If we are talking about self-improvement, then this process implies autonomy, the possibility and ability of a person to manage his own life. To be autonomous means to be free, independent, independent, courageous, courageous, energetic and strong-willed.

For perfection, rationality is no less important, without which it is impossible to organize, manage, or carry out this process of ascent. Reasonableness is modified in this context and as sanity, prudence, prudence. Further, this is self-discipline, which, unlike rationality, is mainly addressed not to the intellectual, but to the volitional and emotional area of ​​​​the inner world of a person. Together with rationality, it is able to best organize and direct all the forces and abilities of a person to achieve the goals of self-improvement. The ethics of perfection also includes self-respect, which is made up of an understanding of the value of the Self, self-esteem, the naturalness and necessity of self-love, self-support, sober, reasonable and critical self-confidence. But, I emphasize once again, perhaps the most striking feature of the ethics of self-improvement is creative creativity, which, with its success, can strengthen, develop and “inspire” all other positive qualities and values ​​of a person. The de facto cultivation ethic is not aristocratic, but rather democratic, or, more simply, humanistic. It does not imply any chosenness and privilege and is available to everyone.

Its characteristic features are some quite general, widespread and simple human qualities: internal and external activity, motivation, i.e. inner interest, craving and interest in something or someone, assertive (affirmative) character, optimism, at least some minimal cheerfulness and a healthy sense of joy and aesthetics of life. All these qualities not only set in motion and support the process of improvement, but also receive in it and from it the reverse impulses, allowing a person to live a rich and, possibly, luxurious moral, mental, intellectual, emotional and physical life.

Self-improvement, thus, is able to cover a very wide range of internal and external human life: from courage and achievement to joy and fun, from self-discipline and "throes of creativity" to a sense of true satisfaction with one's achievements. But all this is only one side of perfection. The other side of it is revealed as perfection in relations with other people and society. Many moral and other qualities and values ​​of a person make sense where and insofar as we enter into communications and find ourselves involved and included in the reality of our own kind and society.

Communication in itself is a fundamental quality and human need, and human communication is an integrative human value. A huge number of values ​​are not subjective, not monological and are not closed exclusively in the inner world of a person. If only because, as norms and results, they are usually of a general nature, shared and approximately equally understood by everyone, i.e. they are transsubjective. Others simply do not exist outside of society. In general, the communicative qualities of ethical perfection coincide with many of the humane qualities recorded in the corresponding section. The most significant of them are: honesty, truthfulness, sincerity, fidelity, benevolence, tolerance, sympathy, respect, caring, decency, ability to dialogue, cooperation and restraint. Without them, it is difficult to imagine the processes of developing humane communication and ascent in this sphere of human existence.

A special value of moral improvement, which has the character of an intermediate-final state, well-being and self-esteem, filled with the experience of not so much the value of what has been achieved as the value of achievement, is the state of moral catharsis, purification or purity - that luxurious and rare gift that we are able to present ourselves and which we truly deserve. Moral catharsis is a moment that reflects the real state of the individual, and not its mystical or illusory states. Of course, there is nothing selfish in this feeling. This is a fresh breath of air, a sigh on a mountain peak on the eve of a new ascent or a worthy meeting of that great unknown, a meeting with which, apparently, is inevitable for each of us.

The moral values ​​of a person, or, as they are also called, ethical virtues, are instilled in a person throughout his life. They are a significant part of the worldview and have a great influence on the thoughts and behavior of each individual.

Formation of moral values

The first moral values ​​of a person are found in early childhood. Even then, parents explain to the baby what is good and what is bad, how to act correctly in certain situations, why something cannot be done, etc. In other words, they educate him.

At this time, all the words of adults for the child are undeniable truth and do not raise doubts. But the baby grows, gets into situations of moral choice and gradually learns to draw conclusions on his own.

In adolescence, the system of moral values ​​is seriously influenced by peers. Against the background of hormonal surges, frequent changes of views, resistance to the position imposed by parents, and a constant search for answers to significant questions are possible. A significant part of moral convictions is acquired precisely at this age and remains with a person for life. As a consequence, of course, they can change in difficult life situations and under the influence of people who are considered authoritative.

The Problem of True Moral Values

It is no secret that moral values ​​are very often associated with religion. Believers do not question the words of the Holy Scriptures and live in accordance with the laws set forth there. To some extent, this makes life much easier, because the answers to the main questions have long been found. And if the spiritual and moral values ​​described there are close to everyone, society can become cleaner and kinder. This is ideal. But the cruel reality has repeatedly proved that at all times there were craftsmen who interpreted the teaching in such a way that people went to kill their neighbor in the belief that they were doing it to please God.

Now we are gradually moving away from religion more and more, but it is being replaced by codes of laws, ideologies of social movements and much more. Moreover, completely opposite views can be imposed on the same person at the same time. And it is extremely difficult to understand them and choose something really worthwhile, worthy and correct. This situation assumes that everyone makes the main decisions for himself, and true moral values ​​are individual.

Preservation of moral values

Despite the fact that the moral ideals of different people can vary significantly, it is still possible to single out quite a lot in common. The highest moral values ​​remain unchanged for many centuries.

For example, freedom, which allows a person to act and think in accordance with his desires, is limited only by conscience. It is also an important value.

Also extremely important components of moral well-being - physical and mental health, respect for oneself and others, guaranteed security and privacy, the right to work, recognition of its fruits, personal development, creative expression of one's abilities and self-realization.

For many people, the highest moral value is love. Indeed, the desire for close, sincere relationships, creating a family, procreation and raising children is often one of the main meanings of life. If we strive to ensure that our life is not lived uselessly, then is it not worthwhile to ensure a decent life for those who remain after us?

Value is a goal to which a person aspires, which he considers important for himself. This is what is most dear, sacred for the individual and the community of people. When it comes to the negative attitude of an individual towards certain phenomena, about what people reject, the term “anti-values”, or negative values, is often used.

Value reflects a person's attitude to reality (to certain facts, events, phenomena), to other people, to himself. These relations can be different in different cultures and peoples, social groups.

Moral values ​​are ethical ideals, the highest principles of human life. Honesty, fidelity, respect for elders, diligence, patriotism are revered as moral values ​​among all peoples. Any moral value presupposes the existence of corresponding regulations of behavior.

The moral values ​​of a person, or, as they are also called, ethical virtues, are instilled in a person throughout his life. They are a significant part of the worldview and have a great influence on the thoughts and behavior of each individual.

The first main feature of moral values ​​is that they necessarily presuppose a person. An impersonal object cannot be a bearer of moral values. In other words, we cannot attribute morality or immorality to an impersonal object. No material body, plant or animal can be morally good or bad. It is absurd to call a stone just, a tree truthful, and an animal chaste. These epithets can be used in relation to them either figuratively or in a poetic context.

No impersonal object, strictly speaking, can be morally good. Only real persons, their actions or attitudes can be morally good or bad. Aesthetic values ​​- such as beauty - may actually be inherent in a mountain landscape, a tree or an animal, but especially in works of art. Therefore, as the first most important feature of moral values, we state that they are inherently the values ​​of the individual.

The first moral values ​​of a person are found in early childhood. Even then, parents explain to the baby what is good and what is bad, how to act correctly in certain situations, why something cannot be done, etc. In other words, they educate him.

At this time, all the words of adults for the child are undeniable truth and do not raise doubts. But the baby grows, gets into situations of moral choice and gradually learns to draw conclusions on his own.

In adolescence, the system of moral values ​​is seriously influenced by peers. Against the background of hormonal surges, frequent changes of views, resistance to the position imposed by parents, and a constant search for answers to significant questions are possible. A significant part of moral convictions is acquired precisely at this age and remains with a person for life. As a consequence, of course, they can change in difficult life situations and under the influence of people who are considered authoritative.

It is no secret that moral values ​​are very often associated with religion. Believers do not question the words of the Holy Scriptures and live in accordance with the laws set forth there. To some extent, this makes life much easier, because the answers to the main questions have long been found. And if the spiritual and moral values ​​described there are close to everyone, society can become cleaner and kinder. This is ideal. But the cruel reality has repeatedly proved that at all times there were craftsmen who interpreted the teaching in such a way that people went to kill their neighbor in the belief that they were doing it to please God.

Now we are gradually moving away from religion more and more, but it is being replaced by codes of laws, ideologies of social movements and much more. Moreover, completely opposite views can be imposed on the same person at the same time. And it is extremely difficult to understand them and choose something really worthwhile, worthy and correct. This situation assumes that everyone makes the main decisions for himself, and true moral values ​​are individual.

Despite the fact that the moral ideals of different people can vary significantly, it is still possible to single out quite a lot in common. The highest moral values ​​remain unchanged for many centuries.

For example, freedom, which allows a person to act and think in accordance with his desires, is limited only by conscience. It is also an important value.

Moral values ​​presuppose the freedom of the individual. A person is capable of being the bearer of moral values ​​only because she is free. Only through free choice can a person be morally good or bad. No other personal value - for example, intelligence, musical talent, wit, brilliant eloquence, powerful vitality - is based on freedom. Man cannot acquire these virtues on his own. They are not the result of free choice, but are of a gift nature. They are not based directly on freedom and are not connected with the free choice of the individual.

So, due to the fact that moral values ​​are based on freedom and thus there is personal responsibility for them, they are clearly separated from all other values. By abusing free will, a person becomes guilty; the right use of freedom is credited to him.

In close connection with this factor is a completely new seriousness inherent in all moral values, which distinguishes them from other personal virtues. When it comes to moral values, one quality that is incomparable with anything is clearly manifested. If, for example, we think about Macbeth and his terrible sin, which he took into his soul with his deeds, then we immediately understand that we are dealing with something exceptionally serious, with such a deep content that is characteristic only of the moral sphere. All amazing gifts and talents seem to be something superficial and insignificant compared to the fact of his moral guilt.

Also, extremely important components of moral well-being are physical and mental health, respect for oneself and others, guaranteed security and privacy, the right to work, recognition of its fruits, personal development, creative expression of one's abilities and self-realization.

For many people, the highest moral value is love. Indeed, the desire for close, sincere relationships, creating a family, procreation and raising children is often one of the main meanings of life. If we strive to ensure that our life is not lived uselessly, then is it not worthwhile to ensure a decent life for those who remain after us?

Being an integral part of moral values, moral norms are distinguished by the fact that the obligation that forms their basis contains the prerequisites for their voluntary recognition as a person, the possibility of freedom to choose the necessary line of behavior.

Through moral assessments, on the one hand, the subject's attitude to the existing system of values ​​is expressed, and on the other hand, the ability to determine the value of actions, the behavior of an individual, their compliance with moral norms, principles, ideals.

The next element in the hierarchy of values ​​is moral assessment, which can be objective and subjective. The objective side of the assessment is determined by social practice and abstract meanings, the subjective side - by the needs and interests of the subject of the assessment, which are of a very different nature. In this regard, this or that value can be reflected in the assessment with varying degrees of adequacy. In the process of evaluation, the meaning of values ​​can be very significantly transformed, distorted.

Thus, having characterized the latter as essentially personal values, we have not yet adequately described their character. Moral values ​​have a unique character that distinguishes them from all other values ​​and gives them undeniable superiority.