Universal moral principles exist in addition to specific moral norms, such as "do not steal" or "be merciful." Their peculiarity lies in the fact that they the most general formulas, from which all other concrete norms can be derived.

Talion principle

Talion rule considered the first universal principle. In the Old Testament, the talion formula is expressed as follows: "an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth". In primitive society, talion was carried out in the form of blood feud, while the punishment had to strictly correspond to the harm caused. Before the emergence of the state, talion played a positive role, limiting violence: a person could refuse violence out of fear of retribution; the talion also limited retaliatory violence, leaving it within the limits of the harm done. The emergence of the state, which assumed the functions of justice, turned the talion into a relic of uncivilized times, deleting it from the list of basic principles of moral regulation.

The principle of morality

The Golden Rule of Morality formulate the first civilizations independently of each other. This principle can be found among the sayings of the ancient sages: Buddha, Confucius, Thales, Christ. In the most general view this rule looks like this: Don't) treat others the way you (not) want them to treat you". Unlike the talion Golden Rule relies not on the fear of revenge, but on their own ideas of good and evil, and also cancels the division into “us” and “them”, presenting society as a set of equal people.

commandment of love becomes a basic universal principle in .

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ expressed this principle thus: Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is similar to it: Love your neighbor as yourself.

New Testament ethics is the ethics of love. The main thing is not formal obedience to laws and rules, but mutual love. The commandment of love does not cancel the ten commandments Old Testament: if a person acts on the principle of "love your neighbor", then he cannot kill or steal.

The principle of the golden mean

The principle of the golden mean presented in works. It says: avoid extremes and observe the measure. All moral virtues are the middle between two vices (for example, courage is located between cowardice and recklessness) and go back to the virtue of moderation, which allows a person to curb his passions with the help of reason.

Categorical imperative - universal moral formula proposed by Immanuel Kant. It says: act in such a way that the reasons for your action may become a universal law,; in other words, do so that your actions can become a model for others. Or: always treat the person as an end, not just a means, i.e. Never use a person only as a means to your ends.

The Principle of Greatest Happiness

The Principle of Greatest Happiness the utilitarian philosophers Jeremiah Bentham (1748-1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) proposed as universal. It says that everyone should behave in such a way that provide the greatest happiness for largest number of people. Actions are judged by their consequences: the more useful the action brought different people, the higher it is rated on the moral scale (even if the act itself was selfish). The consequences of each possible action can be calculated, weighed all the pros and cons, and choose the action that will bring more benefit to more people. An act is moral if the benefit outweighs the harm.

The principle of justice

Principles of Justice suggested by the American philosopher John Rawls (1921-2002):

First principle: Every person should have equal rights with respect to fundamental freedoms. Second principle: social and economic inequalities should be designed so that: (a) benefits for all can reasonably be expected from them, and (b) access to positions and positions is open to all.

In other words, everyone should have equal rights in relation to freedoms (freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, etc.) and equal access to schools and universities, positions, jobs, etc. Where equality is impossible (for example, in a country where there are not enough goods for everyone), this inequality should be arranged for the benefit of the poor. One possible example of such a redistribution of wealth could be a progressive income tax, when the rich pay more taxes, and the proceeds go to the social needs of the poor.

Each universal principle expresses a certain moral ideal, which is basically understood as philanthropy. However, not all principles are compatible: they are based on different values ​​and different understanding of the good. On the basis of general principles, one should first determine the degree of applicability of a particular principle to a situation and identify possible conflicts between different principles. A decision will be unequivocally moral only if all applicable principles do not contradict the decision made. If there is a serious conflict of principles, it is worth considering other factors, such as the requirements of professional codes, expert opinions, legal and religious norms accepted in society, to realize the degree of one's responsibility for the decision, and only then make an informed moral choice.

Rice. 2

Moral principles- main element in the system of morality, these are the basic fundamental ideas about the proper behavior of a person, through which the essence of morality is revealed and on which other elements of the system are based. The most important of them: humanism, collectivism, individualism, altruism, selfishness, tolerance . Unlike norms, they are selective in nature and are determined by a person independently. They characterize the moral orientation of the individual as a whole.

moral standards- specific rules of conduct that determine how a person should behave in relation to society, other people, himself. The imperative-evaluative nature of morality is clearly traced in them. Moral norms are the simplest forms of moral statements ("do not kill", "do not lie", "do not steal", etc.) that determine a person's behavior in typical, repetitive situations. Often they take the form of moral habits in a person and are observed by him without much thought.

moral values- social attitudes and imperatives, expressed in the form of normative ideas about good and evil, fair and unfair, about the meaning of life and the purpose of a person in terms of their moral significance. They serve as a normative form of moral orientation of a person in the world, offering him specific regulators of actions.

moral ideal- this is a holistic model of moral behavior that people strive for, considering it the most reasonable, useful, beautiful. The moral ideal allows you to evaluate people's behavior and is a guideline for self-improvement.

1. structure of morality.

Moral norms, principles, ideals are manifested in the moral activity of people, which is the result of the interaction of moral consciousness, moral relations and moral behavior. . In their unity and interdependence, they are a way of being morality, embodied in its structure.

Understanding the essence of morality involves an analysis of its structure. From the point of view of content, traditionally (since the ancient era) three main elements are distinguished:

♦ moral consciousness;

♦ moral behavior;

♦ moral relations.

moral consciousness- this is a person's knowledge of the essence of the main categories of ethics, understanding moral values and the inclusion of some of them in the system of personal beliefs, as well as moral feelings and experiences.

moral relations as one of the types public relations consist in the realization of moral values ​​by a person when communicating with others. They are determined by the level of moral consciousness of the individual.

moral behavior- these are concrete actions of a person, which are an indicator of his moral culture.

Moral consciousness includes two levels: emotional and rational. . Schematically, the structure of moral consciousness can be represented as follows.

Emotional level- mental reaction of a person to an event, attitude, phenomenon. It includes emotions, feelings, mood.

Emotions - special mental states that reflect the immediate evaluative reactions of the individual to situations that are morally significant for a person. A kind of emotion is an affect - a particularly strong short-term experience that is not controlled by consciousness.

Feelings - it is the joy and sadness experienced by a person, love and hatred, suffering and compassion, arising from emotions. Passion is a kind of moral feeling. – a strongly expressed feeling leading to the achievement of the goal by any, including immoral, means.

Moods - an emotional state that is characterized by duration, stability and is the background against which feelings are manifested and human activity proceeds. As a kind of mood, depression can be considered - an oppressed, depressed state and stress - a state of special mental tension.

Rational level - the ability of the individual to logical analysis and introspection is the result of the purposeful formation of moral consciousness in the process of training, education and self-education. The result is the moral competence of the individual, which includes three main components.

Knowledge principles, norms and categories , included in the system of morality. ethical knowledge - primary, necessary, but insufficient component of moral consciousness.

Understanding the essence of moral norms and principles and the need for their application. To establish moral relations, both the correctness and the similarity of this understanding by different subjects are important.

Adoption moral norms and principles, including them in one's own system of views and beliefs, using them as a "guide to action".

Moral Relations- the central element of the structure of morality, in which the properties of any human activity in terms of its moral value. The most significant in the moral sense are such types of relations as the attitude of a person to society as a whole, to other people, to himself.

The relation of man to society regulated by a number of principles, in particular, the principles of collectivism or individualism. Moreover, various combinations of these principles are possible:

v the merging of collectivism and egoism gives rise to the so-called group egoism, when a person, identifying himself with a certain group (party, class, nation), shares its interests and claims, thoughtlessly justifies all its actions.

v the merging of individualism and egoism, when, satisfying one's own interest, a person guided by the principle of individualism can harm other people, selfishly realizing himself "at their expense."

Relationship to another a person can be subject-subject or subject-object character.

The subjective type of relations is characteristic of humanistic ethics and manifests itself in the dialogue . This approach is based on the principles of altruism and tolerance.

Any science has a certain range of problems, the most complex theoretical and practical questions to which it must seek answers. The main ethical issues are:

• - the problem of criteria of good and evil;
• - the problem of the meaning of life and the purpose of man;
• - the problem of justice;
• - the problem of due.

Basic moral categories

It is possible to single out a number of moral categories that most fully reflect the essence and content of ethics. Among them: moral principles, moral norms, moral behavior, moral consciousness of a person, moral ideal, good and evil.

Moral principles

Moral principles are the basic moral laws, which are a system of values ​​that consolidates, through moral experience, the moral duties of a person. They are also called virtues. Moral principles are formed in the process of education and together become the basis for the development of a number of moral qualities of a person (humanity, a sense of justice, reasonableness, etc.).

The ways and means of implementing each moral principle are diverse and depend on the individual characteristics of the person himself, the moral traditions that have developed in society, and on the specific life situation. The most comprehensive and widespread principles include the principles of humanity, respect, reasonableness, courage and honor.

Humanity - it is a complex of positive qualities that represent a conscious, kind and disinterested attitude towards people around, all living beings and nature in general. A man differs from an animal in that he has such qualities as reason, conscience, spirituality. Being an intellectual and spiritual being, in any, even the most difficult, situations, he must remain a man in accordance with the high moral stage of his development.

Humanity is made up of everyday actions that reflect a person's good attitude towards other people and are manifested in such positive acts as mutual assistance, revenue, service, concession, favor. Humanity is a volitional action of a person based on a deep understanding and acceptance of his inherent moral qualities.

Reverence - this is a respectful attitude not only to relatives and friends, but also to the entire surrounding world, the ability to treat familiar and unfamiliar people, things and natural objects and phenomena with gratitude and attention. Reverence is associated with such qualities as politeness, tact, courtesy, goodwill, sympathy.

Intelligence - it is an action based on moral experience. It includes such concepts as wisdom and logic. On the one hand, rationality is a quality of a person’s personality, depending on the mind given to him from birth, and on the other hand, ego actions that are consistent with experience and a system of moral values.

Courage And honor - categories, meaning a person's ability to overcome difficult life circumstances and a state of fear without losing self-esteem and respect for other people. They are closely interrelated and based on personality traits such as a sense of duty, responsibility, and resilience.

Moral principles must be constantly implemented in human behavior in order to consolidate moral experience.

Moral standards

The joint residence of individuals in society requires a certain restriction of their freedom, since some human actions can be harmful and even dangerous for society. Moral norms reflect the principles and rules of relationships between people established by society that arise in the process of living together. Relationships of joint activity and mutual assistance between people are built on the basis of moral norms.

Moral norms are a social phenomenon, since they affect the problem of an individual's behavior in society, representing the requirements that society imposes on each individual person. It is society that determines how relationships between its members should be built. Society also evaluates human behavior. Quite often, these assessments do not coincide with individual ones: what is positive for an individual can cause a negative assessment of society, and vice versa, society often forces a person to do something that contradicts his aspirations and desires.

The fact that moral norms are of a social nature has developed historically. After all, the moral consciousness of a person is formed under the influence of his environment, on the basis of developed by society moral ideals and moral authorities. The moral norms of an individual are a symbiosis of social attitudes and personal consciousness.

Moral norms are the basis for assessing human behavior by society. There are no single criteria for such an assessment, they depend on the era, the type of society, on the traditional moral attitudes that have developed in any territory, in a particular country, etc. The same actions of people at different times, in different societies can be considered moral and immoral. For example, the barbaric traditions of scalping among the North Indians or eating the heart of a defeated enemy among the natives of Oceania did not seem immoral in their time, but were considered a manifestation of special valor deserving public respect.

The norms of morality in society exist in the form of prohibitions and unspoken instructions. Prohibitions are those norms of individual behavior that are undesirable for society as a whole. Unspoken, informal prescriptions give a person the freedom to choose the type of behavior within the framework of generally accepted norms. Historically, prohibitions have always preceded prescriptions.

Lecture 1The subject of ethics, the main problems of ethics. The structure and functions of morality.

Moral principles.

Ethics(from the Greek "ethos" - temper, custom) - a philosophical study of morality and ethics. Initially, the word "ethos" meant the rules of cohabitation of people, norms of behavior that unite society, helping to overcome aggression and individualism.

The second meaning of the word ethics- a system of moral and moral norms of a certain social group of people.

First time term ethics used Aristotle(384 - 322 BC), he interpreted it as a practical philosophy that seeks an answer to the question: - "What should we do?".

The Golden Rule of Ethics(morality) - “do not do to others what you do not wish for yourself” - is found in Confucius (551 - 479 BC).

The main problems of ethics:

The problem of good and evil

The problem of justice

The problem of due

The meaning of life and the purpose of man.

Morality is a form of social consciousness that establishes a socially necessary type of human behavior. Unlike law, morality is mostly unwritten and fixed in the form of customs, traditions and generally accepted ideas.

Moral- this is the practical embodiment of moral ideals, goals and attitudes in various areas of social life, in the behavior of people and relations between them.

Morality consists of the following components.

moral activity- the most important component of morality, manifested in actions. Only the totality of a person's actions gives an idea of ​​his morality. “... A person is nothing but a series of his actions” (G. Hegel).

An act, in turn, contains three components:

- motive deed;

- result deed;

- grade surrounding both the act itself and its result and motive.

2. Moral (moral) relations are the relationships that

people doing things (moral or immoral). Entering into this relationship

people assume certain moral obligations and at the same time

acquire certain moral rights. The established system of moral

relations underlies the moral and psychological climate of a certain

social group of people (service team).

moral consciousness appears in the form:

Obligatory forms of moral requirements (described using the concepts moral principles,moral standards And moralcategories);

Personal forms of moral requirements (described using close concepts self-esteem, self-awareness);

Public moral requirements (described using the concepts social ideal, justice).

Moral consciousness is generated by the need to regulate the social life of people and their relationships. Unlike science, moral consciousness operates mainly at the level of social psychology and everyday consciousness. Moral principles, norms and categories directly woven into human activity, acting as motives for actions. Moral consciousness is mandatory, each person has his own system of moral values, experiences moral impulses, knows about ethical norms and principles. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) wrote: “Two things always fill the soul with new and ever stronger surprise and reverence –

it is the starry sky above me and the moral law in me.”

Basic functions of morality.

regulatory function. The function of moral regulation of relationships between people is the main and decisive one. It covers the sphere of relations that is not regulated by law, and in this sense it complements law. Note that all legal norms also affirm justice, serve the good and the good of society and citizens, and are unconditionally moral in nature.

Evaluation function. The subject of evaluation from the position of "moral - immoral" or "moral - immoral" are actions, attitudes, intentions, motives, personal qualities, etc.

orienting function. In practice, before making a moral judgment and implementing one or another moral norm in an act or behavior, a person has to take into account a significant number of circumstances, each of which may prompt the application of different (sometimes mutually exclusive) moral norms. A high level of moral culture helps to choose the only correct one from a multitude of moral norms, thus orienting a person in the system of moral priorities.

motivational function. This function allows you to evaluate actions, ends and means in terms of the motivating intention. Motives and motivations can be moral and immoral, noble and vile, selfish and disinterested, etc.

Cognitive (information) function. This function is aimed at acquiring ethical knowledge: principles, norms, codes of conduct, etc.

educational function. Through upbringing, moral experience is passed on from generation to generation, forming a moral type of personality and ensuring the preservation of cultural traditions.

worldview function. This function is very close to the evaluative function, with the only difference that the worldview function covers the basic, basic concepts and ideas of a person about the reality around him.

communicative function. It acts as a form of communication, transmission of information about the values ​​of life, moral contacts between people. Provides mutual understanding, communication of people on the basis of the development of common moral values, and hence - official interaction, "a sense of elbow", support and mutual assistance.

Moral principles.

The principles of morality play a dominant role in moral consciousness. Expressing the requirements of morality in the most general form, they constitute the essence of moral relations and are the strategy of moral behavior. Moral principles are perceived by moral consciousness as unconditional requirements, adherence to which is strictly mandatory in all life situations. They express the basic requirements relating to the moral essence of a person, the nature of relationships between people, determine the general direction of human activity and underlie private, specific norms of behavior. Moral principles include such general principles of morality as:

1 .principle of humanism. The essence of the principle of humanism is the recognition of man as the highest value. In the ordinary sense, this principle means love for people, protection of human dignity, people's right to happiness and the possibility of self-realization. It is possible to identify three main meanings of humanism:

Guarantees of basic human rights as a condition for preserving the humane foundations of his existence;

Support for the weak, going beyond the usual ideas of this society about justice;

The formation of social and moral qualities that allow individuals to carry out self-realization on the basis of public values.

2. The principle of altruism. This is a moral principle that prescribes selfless actions aimed at the benefit (satisfaction of interests) of other people. The term was introduced into circulation by the French philosopher O. Comte (1798 - 1857) to fix the concept opposite to the concept selfishness. Altruism as a principle, according to Comte, says: "Live for others."

3. The principle of collectivism. This principle is fundamental in bringing people together to achieve common goals and carry out joint activities, has a long history and is fundamental to the existence of mankind. The collective seems to be the only way of social organization of people from primitive tribes to modern states. Its essence consists in the conscious desire of people to promote the common good. The opposite principle is principle of individualism. The principle of collectivism includes several particular principles:

Unity of purpose and will;

Cooperation and mutual assistance;

Democracy;

Discipline.

4.Principles of justice proposed by the American philosopher John Rawls (1921-2002).

First principle: Every person should have equal rights with respect to fundamental freedoms.

Second principle: social and economic inequalities should be arranged so that:

Benefits for all could reasonably be expected from them;

Access to positions and positions would be open to all.

In other words, everyone should have equal rights in relation to freedoms (freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, etc.) and equal access to schools and universities, positions, jobs, etc. Where equality is not possible (for example, in an economy where there are not enough benefits for everyone), this inequality should be arranged for the benefit of the poor. One possible example of such a redistribution of wealth could be a progressive income tax, when the rich pay more taxes, and the proceeds go to the social needs of the poor.

5. The principle of mercy. Mercy is a compassionate and active love, expressed in the readiness to help each one in need and spreading to all people, and in the limit - to all living things. The concept of mercy combines two aspects:

Spiritual-emotional (experiencing someone else's pain as your own);

Concrete-practical (rush to real help).

The origins of mercy as a moral principle lie in the apex tribal solidarity, which strictly obliges, at the cost of any sacrifice, to get a relative out of trouble.

Religions such as Buddhism and Christianity were the first to preach mercy.

6. The principle of peace. This principle of morality is based on the recognition of human life as the highest social and moral value and affirms the maintenance and strengthening of peace as an ideal of relations between nations and cities. Peacefulness presupposes respect for the personal and national dignity of individual citizens and entire peoples, the state sovereignty, human rights and the people in the choice of their own life.

Peacefulness contributes to the maintenance of public order, mutual understanding of generations, the development of historical, cultural traditions, the interaction of various social groups, ethnic groups, nations, cultures. Peacefulness is opposed by aggressiveness, belligerence, a tendency to violent means of resolving conflicts, suspicion and distrust in relations between people, nations, socio-political. In the history of morality, peacefulness and aggressiveness are opposed as two main trends.

7. The principle of patriotism. This is a moral principle, in a generalized form expressing a feeling of love for the Motherland, concern for its interests and readiness to protect it from enemies. Patriotism is manifested in pride for the achievements of the native country, in bitterness because of its failures and troubles, in respect for its historical past and in a careful attitude to the people's memory, national national.

The moral meaning of patriotism is determined by the fact that it is one of the forms of subordination of personal and public interests, the unity of man and the Fatherland. Ho пaтpиoтичecкиe чyвcтвa и идeи тoлькo тoгдa нpaвcтвeнно вoзвышaют чeлoвeкa и нapoд, кoгдa coпpяжeны c yвaжeниeм к нapoдaм дpугих cтpaн и нe выpoждaютcя в пcиxoлoгию нaциoнaльнoй иcключитeльнocти и нeдoвepия к "чyжaкaм". Этoт acпeкт в пaтpиoтичecкoм coзнaнии пpиoбpeл ocoбyю aктyaльнocть в пocлeднeе время, кoгдa yгpoзa ядepнoгo caмoyничтoжeния или экoлoгичecкoй кaтacтpoфы пoтpeбoвaлa пepeocмыcлeния патриотизма кaк пpинципa, пoвeлeвaющeгo кaждoмy cпocoбcтвoвaть вклaдy cвoeй cтpaны в coxpaнeниe плaнeты и выживaниe чeлoвeчecтвa.

8. The principle of tolerance. Tolerance means respect, acceptance and a proper understanding of the rich diversity of our world's cultures, our forms of self-expression and ways of expressing human individuality. It is promoted by knowledge, openness, communication and freedom of thought, conscience and belief. Tolerance is a virtue that makes peace possible and promotes the replacement of a culture of war by a culture of peace.

The manifestation of tolerance, which is consonant with respect for human rights, does not mean a tolerant attitude towards social injustice, a rejection of one's own or concession to other people's beliefs. This means that everyone is free to adhere to their beliefs and recognizes the same right for others. This means recognizing that people are inherently different in appearance, position, speech, behavior and values ​​and have the right to live in the world and preserve their individuality. It also means that one person's views cannot be imposed on others.

Morality and law.

Law, like morality, regulates the behavior and attitudes of people. But unlike morality, the implementation of legal norms is controlled by public authorities. If morality is an “internal” regulator of human actions, then law is an “external”, state regulator.

Law is a product of history. Morality (as well as mythology, religion, art) is older than it in its historical age. It has always existed in human society, while law arose when the class stratification of primitive society took place and states began to be created. The socio-cultural norms of a primitive stateless society concerning the division of labor, the distribution of material wealth, mutual protection, initiation, marriage, etc. had the force of custom and were reinforced by mythology. They generally subordinated the individual to the interests of the collective. Measures of public influence were applied to violators of them - from persuasion to coercion.

Both moral and legal norms are social. What they have in common is that both types serve to regulate and evaluate the actions of the individual. Various include:

law is developed by the state, morality - by society;

law is enshrined in state acts, morality is not;

for violation of the rule of law, sanctions of the state are assumed, for violation of the norm of morality - public condemnation, criticism and, in some cases, sanctions of the state.

In this section, we will consider, so to speak, the "working tools" of the science of ethics. Since many aspects of ethical concepts have already been considered, it is now necessary to state them in the form of a certain system and give the missing characteristics of those concepts that have not yet received sufficiently clear definitions.

Above, we talked about the priority of moral activity. Now our task is to clarify what is the active side of morality, what are its "functional duties" or, simply speaking, moral functions.

1. regulatory function. The function of moral regulation of relationships between people is the main and decisive one. It covers the sphere of relations that is not regulated by law. and in this sense it complements law. However, such a definition will be incomplete and inaccurate if we do not take into account the fact that all legal norms also affirm justice, also serve the good or benefit of society and citizens, and therefore are unconditionally moral in nature.

The regulatory function is a continuous process of bringing the real behavior of individuals, service teams and state and public institutions in line with the moral norms in force in society. For these purposes, such "instruments" for regulating moral relations, such as moral and ethical principles, public opinion, moral authority, traditions, customs, commandments, habits. At the directly practical level, regulation is carried out through norms (simple norms of morality): norms-guidelines, norms-requirements, norms-prohibitions, norms-frames, restrictions, as well as norms-samples (etiquette norms). The regulatory function is the base function in the system of functions: all other functions - each in its own way - "serve" it to one degree or another.

2. Evaluative (axiological) function . As mentioned above, any act of morality (behavioral or spiritual) is determined by one or another system of values. Angled subject<морально - аморально» или «иравственно - безнравственно» являются поступки, отношения, намерения, мотивы, моральные возэрения, личностные качества и т.д.

Z. orienting function. Simple norms of morality are "simple" only in theory. In concrete reality, in practice, before making a moral judgment and implementing one or another norm in an act or behavior, one sometimes has to weigh a fairly significant number of circumstances, each of which can prompt us to apply different (sometimes even mutually exclusive) norms. Only a good knowledge of science, ethics, a high level of moral culture, which are the mechanism that can give us an accurate guide, can choose from a multitude of norms the only correct, fair one. It is they who are able to help us develop a system of moral priorities, which is a "compass" that allows us to identify the most moral line of behavior.

4. Motivational function . This function allows you to evaluate actions, ends and means in terms of the motivating intention. Motives or motivations can be moral and immoral, moral and immoral, noble and base, selfish and unselfish, etc.

5. Cognitive (informational) function - aimed at acquiring ethical knowledge: principles, norms, codes, etc., which are a source of information about social moral penalties and systems of such values, starting points moral choice in ordinary and extreme situations, in ordinary and conflict situations, which together help to formulate a model of moral behavior.

b. educational function. Any system of education is, first of all, a system of moral education (a number of scientists believe that education is only moral education, everything else is just communication). Moral education brings moral norms, habits, customs, rights, generally recognized patterns of behavior into a certain conceptually organized system, translates moral knowledge into moral convictions of the individual, develops the ability to creatively interpret moral knowledge and beliefs in relation to specific situations.

7. communicative function. A special device is installed on ships, planes and other fast moving objects, which, upon receiving the appropriate request, responds with a signal, conditionally called "I am mine." Any system of moral values ​​(including professional ones) has exactly the same ability, and only on the basis of this “signal” is service and any other interaction possible, the acquisition of<чувства локтя», поддержка и взаимовыручка. Конечно, в процессе служебной деятельности осознание сигнала «я свой» и действенная коммуникация на его основе осуществляется не только моральным его компонентом, но тем не менее он играет в этом процессе одну из главных ролей.

8. ideological function. The purpose of this function is to justify the morality of the political and economic goals and interests of a particular class, social stratum, group, social movement, etc. In this sense, it is called upon to morally consolidate a socially heterogeneous society. The morality of the ruling class or social group, as well as their goals and interests, is always presented by ideological means as the goals, interests and morality of the whole society. And while to a certain extent this morality meets the general interests, society perceives this circumstance positively. Otherwise, society consolidates around opposing moral, political and ideological values, where revolutionary morality begins to play a fundamental role, proclaiming the struggle to overthrow the existing political regime as the main moral goal.

9. World outlook function. In this regard, morality is considered as the moral foundations of the individual, the system of moral penalties developed by her, mediating all her political, religious, aesthetic, philosophical and other concerns. The ideological function is very close to the axiological function, with the only difference that in this case it covers the basic, so to speak, initial concepts and ideas of a person about the reality around him.

The most important moral values for a law enforcement officer are: love for the motherland, fidelity to the oath and chosen profession, official duty, moral integrity (unity of word and deed, beliefs and deeds), respect for honor and official dignity, justice, legality, incorruptibility and mutual assistance.

If we turn to moral consciousness, then the dominant role is played by moral principles. Expressing the requirements of morality in the most general form, they constitute the essence of moral relations and are the strategy of moral behavior. They differ in comparative stability and are concretized in moral norms. Their stability and viability are determined by the specific conditions of a certain social and professional environment of a particular historical era. Moral principles are perceived by moral consciousness as unconditional requirements, adherence to which is strictly mandatory in all life situations. This is their essential difference from moral norms, deviation from which in certain life situations is not only permissible, but sometimes necessary. Within the framework of the requirements for service in law enforcement agencies, the main principles of morality are: humanism, collectivism, justice, patriotism, conscientious attitude to work, critical self-assessment. Some of them should be considered in more detail.

Principle collectivism . This is one of the most important principles of not only professional, but also universal morality (the opposite principle is individualism). It is the most important essence of the relationship between the individual and society. Generally, all social And the professional interests of individuals are mediated by personal interest, with which they are closely intertwined, and it is usually almost impossible to break this connection. Stating this circumstance, the Scottish economist and philosopher of the 17th century. A. Smith developed the theory of "reasonable egoism", where he tried to find a reasonable balance between the public and private interests of individuals. However, both science and practice have clearly shown that it is impossible to find such a balance once and for all for all situations, and therefore two mutually exclusive, but rather abstract principles were approved in ethics: collectivism and individualism, where it was only about the priority of one or another principle.

As applied to the socio-political realities of our time, the principle of collectivism as a leading principle is inherent in socialist society, and the principle of individualism is inherent in bourgeois society. As for the law enforcement service environment, here the principle of collectivism is clearly strictly necessary for the successful organization of service activities, the only possible one for effective opposition to the criminal world. And although the interests of the members of the service team are always heterogeneous, the efficiency of the work of the team directly depends on the purposefulness and unity of its actions, and, therefore, first of all, on how the interests of the team are perceived by its members as priority compared to the personal interests of the people who form it. An English proverb says: "If you can't do what you like, let you like what you do." In the most literal sense, this also applies to the combination of personal and service interests: if you cannot reconcile personal interests with service interests, let service interests become your personal interest. Otherwise, you should leave law enforcement and law enforcement.

The principle of collectivism includes several particular principles.

1. Unity of purpose and will. A single goal unites people, organizes and directs their will. The goals of the work of the service team are determined both by the tasks that the management sets for the team, and by the awareness of the need for the requirements of everyday service. And if the first factor is mainly external, strictly imperative in nature, then the second factor is largely determined by the moral and psychological climate of the team and the moral education of its members. 2. Cooperation and mutual assistance. This is one of the most important conditions for the principle of collectivism. This side of collectivism is especially effective in the collectives of law enforcement agencies. “Die yourself, but save your comrade” is not a simple slogan, but the fundamental principle of official interaction in the bodies, which has been repeatedly confirmed in practice. However, this is combined with adherence to principles and has nothing in common with mutual responsibility, protection of unscrupulous workers, loafers, truants. Otherwise, there are grounds to talk about the moral deformation of the collective, about its “disease” and the need for its urgent “treatment”.

3. Democracy. Even in such strictly normatively organized structures as law enforcement agencies, there are many aspects of service that are determined by a collective decision. And the more cohesive and morally conscious one or another team, the more prerequisites arise for the management to delegate power in decision-making to the members of the service team themselves, to move from command-administrative relations to relations of business cooperation based on a common interest and common responsibility for the successful solution of official tasks.

4. Discipline. In a morally mature team, discipline is not a heavy burden, but a recognized necessity. The conscious fulfillment of disciplinary requirements ensures the required performance of official activities, and it is in such a team that any violation of discipline is perceived by its members as an obstacle, as an obstacle to the realization of common official goals and interests, and it is in such a team that the impact of its members on the “education” of the violator is more effective. the most severe disciplinary sanctions of the management.

principle of humanism. This moral principle in the ordinary sense means humanity, love for people, protection of human dignity, people's right to happiness and a full opportunity for self-development. Humanism is a requirement of the modern era, its leading principle, in particular penetrating all branches of law and defining all moral norms. With regard to law enforcement, humanism underlies the entire system of moral and legal relations between employees and law enforcement agencies and citizens.

The humanism of the content of law enforcement lies in its very essence, which is defined as ensuring social stability, protecting public order in the country, property, rights, freedoms. and legitimate interests of citizens, enterprises, organizations and institutions from criminal encroachments and other antisocial actions. Requirements of the principle of humanism are not only the essence of professional morality, but also the official duty, which obliges law enforcement officers to respond quickly and in a timely manner to all unworthy acts and, moreover, offenses. Failure to comply with these requirements is condemned both by law and And public opinion. Thus, the humanism of the activities of law enforcement agencies is manifested in the fact that it is aimed at combating evil and protecting the interests of the whole society and each individual separately from violations of law and morality, and thus provides conditions for happiness. And comprehensive development of man as the highest social value.

The humanism of the essence and goals of the activities of law enforcement agencies also determines such an aspect of the service of law enforcement agencies as the prevention of offenses and crimes. Using various means of warning and persuasion, law enforcement officials reveal to the population the humanistic, socially necessary content of the norms of our morality and law, the inadmissibility of immoral, antisocial, and even more so criminal behavior that causes enormous and irreparable damage to society, people and the violator himself, contribute to the awareness of each person of moral and legal responsibility for the immoral and illegal acts committed by him. If the measures of persuasion are insufficient, the state resorts to coercion. However, humanism is also manifested here: on the one hand, the vast majority of citizens are socially protected, and on the other hand, this stops those citizens who embark on the path of criminal acts and are not able to get off this path on their own.

The unity of the principles of justice and legality. The most important principle of professional morality of law enforcement officers is principle justice. Justice is not only a principle of morality. It covers almost all spheres of human activity and human relations, and above all law and politics. As a way of moral regulation, the principle of justice obliges to take into account all aspects of the activities of individuals, i.e. their social status, merits, age and physical capabilities, and to establish a correspondence between the practical activities of individuals and their social (and official) position, between the merits of people and their public recognition, between deeds and rewards, labor and remuneration, rights and obligations, crime and punishment, etc. Inconsistency in these relations is perceived as injustice. Employees of bodies with sufficient service experience are well aware that it is not punishment that is perceived by criminals as painful, but injustice (including direct deception as one of its types).

Justice regulates all spheres of social life, but it receives the most visible embodiment in the legal system, since it is precisely it that regulates the most important parts of social life 7 . Law plays a leading role in the suppression of various kinds of violations of justice: criminal enrichment, protectionism, undeserved privilege, etc. The principle of justice provides for the provision of social guarantees: health protection, the right to education, housing, old-age pensions and disability, etc. The correspondence between goals and the means necessary to achieve them is one of the most important manifestations of the principle of justice.

Sanctions provided for by legal acts act as the realization of the goals of law. Their use is always associated with the infringement of the interests of the individual, with the undergoing of certain deprivations, therefore, here the principle of justice must be observed especially clearly. The most important requirements of the principle of justice for sanctions are as follows:

Sanctions should only apply to those who actually broke the law;

Sanctions should ensure the restoration of violated rights after serving the sentence in full;

Between the sanctions that establish the measure of responsibility for various unlawful acts, certain proportions must be observed: more dangerous offenses must be punished more severely;

Courts should be able to impose individual punishment in the light of particular circumstances;

No one should be punished twice for the same offense.

All of the above principles for law enforcement officers are their professional requirement, their legal norm. In practice, these principles are concretized, acquiring in each team, in relation to the characteristics of the service of certain units, a specific character that has imperative significance for members of the service team.