Open lesson "eternal values of humanity." Eternal values of humanity Eternal values of humanity
Course 2
group
Lesson 13
Topic: Eternal values of humanity
Target: expanding students’ ideas about the eternal values of humanity, about spiritual and material values, about the purpose of human life as the comprehension of the highest spiritual values; formation of independent living skills, socialization of the individual; deepening students' ideas about knowledge, about the sources of human knowledge, about the variety of ways to understand the world, about achieving wisdom and the meaning of the process of self-knowledge.
Tasks:
- reveal the meaning and versatility of the concepts of “value”, “universal values”, “spiritual values”, “material values”;
- develop the ability to see value in people, events, circumstances;
- develop the ability to make successful decisions and show initiative;
- cultivate a respectful attitude towards universal human values and the spiritual experience of humanity;
- cultivate sensitivity in the perception of reality.
THEY ARE IN THIS HOUSE...
Henrik Ibsen
They lived quietly together in this house
Both autumn and winter.
But there was a fire. And the house fell apart,
And they bent over the ashes.
There, under it, a golden casket was kept,
Fireproof, durable, imperishable.
They dug the earth with a shovel, crushed it with a pickaxe,
To find a precious treasure.
And they find, these two people,
Necklace, pendants, wrists, -
She will not find only her burned faith.
And to him - his former happiness.
Conversation on slides
Slide 1 – Discussion of the epigraph.
Value scale
1500 respondents: from 20 value-colored words, it was necessary to choose the 5 most important
Now you choose the 5 most significant values for you. And then we’ll see how your choice coincides with the choice of those surveyed.
1. Family-
2. Marriage -
3. Money-
4. Friendship -
5. Love -
6. Career -
7. Success –
8. Independence –
9. Stability -
10. Professionalism-
11. Justice -
12. Self-realization -
13. Freedom -
14. Comfort-
15. Self-development -
16. Entertainment -
17. Conscience -
18. Homeland -
19. Spirituality -
20. Creativity -
1. Family-48%
2. Marriage -45%
3. Money-38%
4. Friendship - 42%
5. Love - 28%
6. Career - 27%
7. Success - 24%
8. Independence - 22%
9. Stability - 19%
10. Professionalism - 19%
11. Fairness - 15%
12. Self-realization - 15%
13. Freedom - 12%
14. Comfort - 10%
15. Self-development - 10%
16. Entertainment - 8%
17. Conscience - 8%
18. Homeland - 7%
19. Spirituality - 6%
20. Creativity - 5%
“The rich man has countless cattle and gold, But the poor man has a winged dream.”
Kyrgyz proverb
POVERTY AND WEALTH
Eastern parable
One day, Poverty and Wealth argued among themselves which of them was more beautiful. For a long time they could not solve this issue on their own, so they decided to turn to the first person they met.
“Let the first man we meet resolve our dispute,” they decided and set off along the road.
A middle-aged man was walking towards them. He did not immediately notice that Poverty and Wealth had jumped up to him from both sides.
- Only you can resolve our dispute! - they chattered. - Tell me which of us is more beautiful!
- What a disaster! - the man thought to himself, - I’ll say that Poverty is more beautiful, Wealth will be offended and leave me. And if I say that it is Wealth, then Poverty may get angry and attack me. What to do?
The man thought a little and said to them:
- I can’t tell right away when you stand still. First, you walk a little along the road back and forth, and I’ll take a look.
Poverty and Wealth began to walk along the road. And so they will pass, and so on. Everyone wants to look better.
- Well? - they finally shouted in one voice. - Which of us is more beautiful?
The man smiled at them and answered:
- You, Poverty, are very beautiful and charming from behind when you leave!
And you, Wealth, are simply excellent when you turn your face and come!
Slide 2 – discussion
Game “Buy - Sell” - slide 3, 4
Slide number 5 – conclusion about the game
Legend – slide 6, 7.
Spiritual values are a kind of moral capital of humanity, accumulated over millennia, which not only does not depreciate, but, as a rule, increases.
Material values are the result of human activity (contribute to people’s lives):
Protozoa (food, clothing, housing, household items and public consumption);
of a higher order (tools of labor and material means of production).
Material values are not primitive things. They are designed to evoke high feelings in a person. But they also have practical significance - their content influences the life of an individual and society as a whole.
The next section “Task” will introduce students to the opinions of Internet forum participants and will allow the teacher to determine the depth of students’ understanding of the importance of spiritual values. The nicknames (names) of the forum participants are left in the textbook, as is customary in the Internet zone.
Read the opinions of Internet forum participants on the topic: “What is more important: spiritual or material values?” Which opinion do you share? Why?
NOP. Why do I need money without internal harmony, but why do I need internal harmony with a crust of bread and a glass of water? Everything must be balanced.
ExVoormindin. For myself, I am looking for material values, because... I have already identified moral values and ideas for myself. In other people, in turn, I look for spiritual values. You can't talk to a bag of gold
Maripa 82. Material values refer to the values that determine a person’s daily needs, say, things. Unlike material values, spiritual values correspond to mental, emotional and volitional abilities, or Truth, Goodness and Beauty. I believe that the spiritual ones are more important, remember when you felt bad in your soul, is it possible to think about money at the moment. Appreciate spiritual values, then you will also have material ones.
Silencia. Money gives a person comfort and confidence in the future. But you can’t buy happiness even if you had all the money in the world. I don't believe those who think differently.
DesTincT. Life shows exactly the opposite... It is one thing to believe that spiritual values are more important to you, but another thing is to follow these beliefs. Agree, few people would want to connect their fate with a low-income person - this is natural...
Lizbur. Spiritual, material, and eternal values are important to us. Thanks to them we exist.
Slide 8 – complete the phrase. Discussion.
The circle “From Heart to Heart” completes the theme “Eternal Values of Humanity.” In the textbook, in this section, a poem by the poet Maya Borisova is offered. It can be read to a group of students. Draw students' attention to the fact that we can give a price to everything that exists in a person's life, that there are universal human values that are equally valid for everyone, and values that a person determines for himself. A person’s worldview and perception of the world depend on the depth of personal values and the correctness of priorities.
Maya Borisova
There are values that have no price:
A piece of paper with a Pushkin drawing,
Textbook one in the first school bag
And letters from those who did not return from the war.
There are values that have no price.
Tight folds of a marble tunic
At the thin feet of the Nike of Samothrace,
And the wings that are missing are visible.
There are values that are more valuable than yourself.
Transparent stone from a small beach,
But at night they kiss him, crying.
What is comparable to it - the gifts of kings?
You cannot tell another: live like this!
But if you are busy with one thing -
Acquire something tangible
You are not worth either anger or love.
May all your flocks be safe!
Living in petty calculations -
Succeed! Just don’t try
On values that have no price.
Value: Love.
Qualities: value attitude to life, love for loved ones, friendliness, responsiveness.
Target: expanding students’ ideas about the eternal values of humanity, about the purpose of human life as the comprehension of the highest spiritual values.
Tasks:
To reveal the meaning and versatility of the concepts of “value”, “universal human values”, “spiritual values”;
Develop the ability to see value in people, events, circumstances;
To cultivate a respectful attitude towards universal human values, the spiritual experience of humanity, and towards each other.
Resources: video “Values of Life”, handouts with a list of values, a table of values by number of students, a box, hearts with the names of values.
During the classes
Positive attitude(concentration on breathing)
Teacher: Guys, sit up straight without crossing your arms or legs. We will now do a breathing exercise. When we concentrate on breathing, our mind becomes calm. As we inhale, we will absorb peace and joy. And when we exhale, we will exhale all worries from ourselves.
Let's get ready, guys. Let's close our eyes, keep our backs straight, and put our hands on our knees.
Inhale..., exhale... ( 9-10 times, slowly)
Take each other's hands and convey a piece of your warmth to your classmates, wish them and me success. Smile at each other. I am glad that you feel good, that you are comfortable, and that you are ready to work with me.
Announcing the topic of the lesson
Teacher: Guys, today we are starting to study the topic “Eternal Values of Humanity.” We'll talk about what the word "value" means. Let's find out what significance spiritual and material values have in a person's life. Let’s share our opinion on what values are important to each of you.
Positive statement(lesson quote)
The teacher brings to the attention of the students a quote written on the board. You need to read it and explain the meaning:
Although we are mortal, we must not submit to corruptible things, but, as far as possible, rise to immortality and live according to what is best in us. (Aristotle)
(Students explain the meaning of the statement.)
Watch a video(teacher's gift)
The teacher invites students to watch the video “Values of Life,” which talks about the values of a young person’s life.
Issues for discussion:
Can we call these values universal?
(Students' answers)
Creative activities, group work
Position:“We believe that...”
Rationale: " Because…".
Confirmation:“This idea is confirmed by words from the text...; “We can confirm this...”
Consequence:"Hence…". The conclusion should not contradict the first statement, but may repeat it in some way.
(After discussing the texts, group speakers will present the results of the analysis carried out using the POPS formula).
Text for the first group
Kaleria Talchuk, Kazakhstan
Tick-tock, tick-tock... This is exactly what the steps of passing time sound like. Time is the most amazing thing on Earth. Until now, people have not learned to control this unbridled element. No one has yet managed to travel through time and subjugate it. Besides, time is the most important value of our life. Why?
Time is an inexorable executioner and a generous creator. It passes, takes away something old, outdated and brings something new, unexpected. People consider saving time to be the goal of progress. But everyone still misses it: housewives, pensioners, schoolchildren. We don't have time to listen to the birds singing in the morning because our ears are busy with headphones with new music; we don’t find time to look at the scarlet sunset, as our eyes are fixed on the computer monitor or TV; We have no time to breathe clean mountain air, and we breathe exhaust fumes, because our foolish deeds do not let us go. Being alone with nature is a waste of time.
So where does this precious time go? For empty conversations, computer games, airy dreams... Yes, now this is more important than laying your head on your mother’s lap if you suddenly run out of strength and need her support and love.
Alexander Krasny was right when he said that no amount of money could buy us a single extra minute of life. Therefore, we should spend all our time wisely, receiving joyful pleasure from every moment. Even a split second is important, especially if it decides someone’s life or, for example, the fate of a gold medal at the Olympic Games.
How often do we say to friends, parents, acquaintances: “I’m busy! I have no time! I have important business!” But sometimes it’s worth thinking about whether this matter is so important, whether it’s worth the time spent.
Do only what you need to do so that you don’t regret what you missed in the future. And no matter how trivial it may sound - save your time!
Text for the second group
Daria Gvozdik, Ukraine
I often ask myself: what do we value most in life? Money? But the time will come when no capital will be needed. Connections? But nothing lasts forever. A job? But why do you need a job if you have no one to work for? What then do we value? Our loved ones - we live for them. Our feelings - while we live, we need to feel. In general, I think that you need to value life. Life is given to us once, and every second, every minute and every hour lived will never return. Let's value life, value time.
What do we sometimes expect from life? Any miracles? But just look around you - how beautiful the world is! There are so many amazing things in the world: beautiful people, wonderful flowers, extraordinary butterflies... So many bright colors around: purple, gold, azure... How many strong feelings a person experiences: happiness, joy, sadness, sadness... How there are many smiles in the world: bright, affectionate, radiant... So many miracles around: a drop of dew on a lush aster flower, shimmering with millions of colors and shades, a sunbeam in the shadow of a branchy maple... How joyful it is in the heart when a friend walks nearby when a star falls into the sea, when the rain drums on the roof. How few words are needed to say: “I live!”, “I love!”, “I am happy!”
Let's appreciate the moments of happiness, friendship, love, light that life gives us. Let's appreciate time! Let's appreciate life!
Text for the third group
Lina Voronina. Germany
The main value for a person is life, but the main value of life is Chance. Yes, yes, it is Coincidence, with a capital C. Some call it Fortune, some Fate, some Providence. But it is not important. The main thing is that without Her Majesty nothing happens in this world. Even the beginning of a new life is essentially nothing more than the will of chance.
Believers say: “Man proposes, but God disposes.” I agree with this, because what is meant by the will of God is an accident, happy or not, but capable of turning everything in a different direction. But there is another wise saying: “Trust in God, but do not make a mistake yourself.” It indicates that “waiting by the sea for weather” (i.e., suitable chance) or being led by events is undignified and ineffective. It's like watching someone get hurt and not standing up for it.
I believe that life is an algorithm of chance with many solutions. A person’s task is to try to find a solution in every situation so that the next chance will be the most favorable of the possible ones (I apologize for perhaps excessive mathematization, but this is exactly how I imagine it). It follows from this that a person is free to try to be the master of his own destiny. I say “try” because there are times when nothing can be changed and you have to wait for the situation to end.
Yes, after all, chance is the main value of any life. After all, it is she who makes every life unique, original, leaves an imprint on people and the fate of their descendants. Therefore, it is important to learn to handle Her Majesty Chance carefully, because she is known to be a lady of character.
Teacher's conclusion: Everything that is dear and vital to a person, that determines his attitude to reality, is usually called values. They were formed along with the development of humanity and its culture. Universal human values are significant for all humanity.
Game "I choose"
Teacher: Guys, now I invite you to make a choice of what is valuable to each of you. Think and decide which value you choose and why.
· health
· interesting job
· material well-being
· wisdom
· the love of one person for life
· beautiful, smart, well-mannered children
· independence
· success at work
· world peace
· parents' health
· outer beauty
· happiness
Issues for discussion:
How do you explain your choice?
Can this be bought with money?
What other value would you gain if you could?
(Students choose values and explain their choice.)
Generalization
- Guys, true personal wealth and the prosperity of a person’s life are possible only thanks to moral and emotional qualities. A person is truly considered rich only when he has the qualities necessary not only for himself, but also for the people around him. This wealth is not measured by the number of things a person possesses, but by what a person is able to give to others.
Homework
As homework, students are asked to complete the “My Values” exercise. In the table of values, you need to rank each one according to its importance in the student’s life and explain your choice.
| Active life |
| Health |
| Interesting job |
| The beauty of nature and art |
| Love |
| Financially secure life |
| Having good and loyal friends |
| Self confidence |
| Cognition |
| Liberty |
| Happy family life |
| Creation |
Final minute of silence
Teacher: Guys, I have prepared a gift for you. This box contains the “jewels of life.” I want to give them to you so that they will always accompany you in life and help you live in harmony with the world around you. And then peace, tranquility and love will reign in your souls! (Students take hearts with values from the box and read them out).
Now sit back, close your eyes and think about what new and useful things you learned in today’s lesson. Feel the value of your life and the lives of all people in the world. Send mental wishes of Love, Kindness and Warmth to all people.
Thank you for the lesson, goodbye!
An outstanding French writer and public figure, a recognized master of the “biographical novel” genre, Andre Maurois (1885-1967), in his essay “What I Believe,” discusses issues of materialism and idealism, religion and the theory of evolution, freedom and separation of powers, family and friendship. This text is the credo of one of the brightest European intellectuals of the mid-20th century.
I believe that the external world exists independently of me, which I, however, can perceive only by passing it through my consciousness. Outside the window I see clouds, hills, trees swaying in the wind, cows in the meadow; Closer, I see a part of me that I call “my hand” and that writes these lines. I believe that this hand is deeply different in nature from the rest of the world. When a bird lands on a linden or cedar branch, I don’t feel anything; When a fly lands on my hand, it tickles me. As soon as I want, I will move my hand; but I am unable to move the clouds and hills. And my hand is not able to fulfill every desire I have. There is no need to demand the impossible from her. The executioner can cut it off, I will still see it, but it will turn into a foreign object for me. Thus, my body occupies an intermediate position: on the one hand, it obeys my will, on the other, it obeys the outside world. I can send him towards trials and even danger, I can, through training or with the help of machines, increase his strength and expand the scope of his activity, but not indefinitely; It is not in my power to protect him from accidents and old age. In this respect, I belong entirely to the outside world, from head to toe.
My inner world is a safer refuge. Call it whatever you like - spirit, thought, soul; the name doesn't matter. Here my power is much greater than in the external world. I am free to disagree with certain views, to form conclusions, to immerse myself in memories; I am free to despise danger and await old age with wise humility. And yet, even in this fortress I am not isolated from the outside world. Severe pain interferes with the free work of thought; bodily suffering affects mental activity; obsessive ideas creep into your head with debilitating consistency; Brain diseases lead to mental illness. Thus, I belong to the outside world and at the same time I do not belong to it. The world becomes reality for me only within me. I judge him only by my feelings and how my mind interprets these feelings. I can't stop being myself and becoming the world. But without “this strange round dance” around me, I would have lost both sensations and thoughts at once. My head is crowded with images of the outside world - and only them. That is why I do not share the views of Bishop Burkle and do not consider myself a pure idealist; I do not believe that every time I cross the English Channel or the Atlantic I create London or New York anew; I do not believe that the outside world is nothing more than my idea of it, which will disappear with me. “And dying, I will destroy the world,” said the poet. The world will cease to exist for me, but not for others, and I believe in the existence of other people.
However, I cannot call myself a pure materialist. Of course, I believe that the world of which I am a part is subject to certain laws. I believe this because it is obvious; I am writing these lines at the beginning of autumn: I know that the leaves outside the window will turn yellow; I know that tomorrow at this hour the sun will be a little lower in the sky than today; I know that the constellations, these golden carnations hammered into the black firmament, will soon change their position, and these changes can be predicted; I know that if I let go of the book, it will fall to the floor at a speed that can be calculated in advance. I also know something else: some modern scientists argue that on a scale of infinitesimal quantities it is impossible to accurately predict any event and that our laws are statistical laws. So what of this? Statistical laws take into account the existence of randomness. Any laws, including statistical ones, are effective and useful, since they allow us to predict many phenomena. Some materialists conclude from this that all phenomena are predictable, that the future is completely predetermined and that it is only due to our ignorance that we cannot build a mechanical model of the world that would allow us to predict not only the location of the constellations on a given day and hour, but also all future ones events of human history. Such a model of the world would be no different from this world itself. If it were possible, it would mean that organic matter itself, according to the laws of its internal development, automatically gives rise to everything that happens in the world, including our actions. In this case, history, both social and individual, would be absolutely deterministic, and our freedom of choice would be illusory.
Even at the beginning of our century, the most knowledgeable people had every reason to think that a new Golden Age was coming. In fact, the Golden Age turned out to be the Age of Fire and Shame. While therapy and surgery fought for human life and alleviated his suffering, the war, which had become crueler than ever, brought unimaginable suffering to the people. Frightened and unhappy, these people became like their distant ancestors and, attributing supernatural power to their fears and hopes, peopled the indifferent world with gods and monsters.
I do not share this purely materialistic view of the world. There are three reasons for this. Firstly, I refuse to consider mine completely dependent on the system that was created by this mind itself. Who, if not man, discovered the laws of development of the external world? Who, if not he, brought order to the imaginary chaos of phenomena? It would be absurd if the power of the human mind ultimately led us to deny this power. Secondly, the scientific research on which our belief in the order of the world is based has never given grounds to consider the whole world to be a mechanism. Scientific data indicate that under certain conditions within a closed system, knowing the initial parameters, it is possible to predict the result. But predictions of this kind are limited in space and time; we have no right to interpret them broadly. The economy and history of our planet alone are so complex that they defy prediction. What then can we say about “the whole world” - after all, we don’t even know for sure what this arbitrary combination of words means?
Finally, thirdly, I simply do not understand how consciousness can arise in the depths of matter. I have always observed the opposite - how images of the material world arise in the depths of my consciousness. Moreover, experience teaches me that there are things that are subject to my will. I want to fight the enemy and I fight him. It may be objected to me that my will is predetermined by my nature. I won't argue. In speaking of the will, I do not claim that it can command me to do what I do not want. My will is not a force that exists independently of me. My will is my acting self.
Of course, a materialist will object to me: “You know that the abyss separating living and inanimate matter is becoming narrower every day. You know that with some viruses it is impossible to say for sure whether they belong to living or nonliving matter. You know that chemists have learned to synthesize molecules of such complexity that are found only in living nature. The day is not far off when science will explain to us how, at the dawn of the universe, gigantic cataclysms led to the emergence of life on earth, how slow evolution led to the formation of species. The line of evolution from bacteria to Plato is continuous. Man, the last link in a long chain of living beings, occupies the most insignificant place in time and space. Why attach such importance to his mind? He is only a more perfect form of the mind of a bee or an ant, a fish or a snake, a dog or a cat...” Reasoning of this kind leaves me completely indifferent. No matter how narrowed the abyss, a bridge has not yet been built across it. Neither chemists nor biologists have yet been able to solve the mystery of life; no living creature has a mind comparable to that of a human. The gulf between the most primitive of men and the most intelligent of animals is still wide and deep. A materialist blindly believes in science as in an omnipotent God, but such a religion is alien to me.
As for the origin of species, it seems to me that the remark of Leconte du Nouy* is very significant: if we accept the hypothesis of natural selection and survival of the fittest, it turns out that the development and improvement of such a complex organ as the human eye took as many billions of years as not the earth itself exists. “But in this case,” the Believer will ask, “do you, like us, believe that the Lord created living beings?” I believe only in what I know, and in this area all I know is that I know nothing. I am skeptical of the stories of paleontologists and geologists who juggle millennia and base bold theories on Precambrian fossils that, upon closer inspection, turn out to be just bizarrely shaped cobblestones. But it is no easier for me to believe in the almighty and merciful Lord, who, in his right mind and strong memory, created Koch’s wand, a flea and a mosquito, and many centuries later crowned his work with a new victory: he threw man into a hostile and mysterious world, endowed him with thoughts and feelings and made this unfortunate creature answer to the Creator for his actions. I don’t care about the question: how and why did a person come into this world? We do not know and, apparently, will never know the answer. I admit that infinitesimal beings who perhaps inhabit an electron are capable of discovering its nucleus and several neighboring atoms. But can they imagine a person or a cyclotron? And in general, none of this matters. I worry about something else: “Here is a man, here is the world. How should a person, such as he is, act in order to subjugate the world around him and himself to the extent that his nature allows?
I am neither a pure materialist nor a pure idealist. What do I believe in then? I limit myself to stating facts. In the beginning there was my mind, which, with the help of my body, came into contact with the outside world. But the body itself is only a sensory image, that is, an image created by my consciousness, so ultimately I reject the dualistic view of nature. I believe in the existence of a single reality, which can be considered both in the spiritual aspect and in the material aspect. Was this reality created by a superhuman will? Does some higher power control our world?
Is this power moral and does it reward the righteous and sinners? I have no reason to say anything about this. The world of things knows no morality. Lightning strikes and cancer strike the good as often as the evil. The universe is neither friendly nor hostile to people of good will; Most likely, she's just indifferent. Who created it? Why is there not complete chaos reigning in it, why is it still subject to laws? What force threw us here, onto this lump of dirt spinning in endless space? I know nothing about this and I think that others know no more about it than I do. The various gods worshiped by peoples over thousands of years of human history were the embodiment of the passions and needs of believers. This does not mean that religions were useless; this means that they were necessary. But their task is not to understand the world. “If you get lost in the desert,” one kind priest told me, “I won’t give you a map, I’ll just show you where you can get a drink of water and try to instill courage in you so that you can continue on your way. That's all I can do for you."
“Christianity made a revolution by transferring fate inside man. It saw the source of our misfortunes in our own nature. For the ancient Greeks, myths, as a rule, were part of history - and nothing more. He released the demons of his soul, embodying them in myths. A Christian lets myths into his soul, embodying them in demons. Original sin affects each of us. The crucifixion of Christ affects each of us...” (André Malraux)*. The Christian religion is humane, not inhumane. The drama does not play out in the outside world, fate does not threaten from the outside, as Homer and Aeschylus thought; the outside world is neutral, drama and fate live inside a person. The dogma of original sin exposes the presence of the animal nature in the soul of every person. The child is born wild, greedy; If he weren't so weak, he would be cruel. Our first instinct is to kill. But the idea of atonement is just as true. Man is not just a beast. God was embodied in man, “Man and God merge in a free man” (Alain*). This is the source of our torment, but this is also the reason for our victories.
I recognize the existence of a higher principle in man. “No animal could have done what I did,” said Guillaume, and in fact, man is capable of selfless heroic deeds that are by no means dictated by animal instincts and even contradict them. “Nothing forces us to be noble, kind, merciful and courageous.”
There are only two ways to rule - cut off people's heads or count them by their heads. A state where heads are cut off follows the path of violence. A company of killers gathers around one dictator, mistakenly called a party, although it is much more like a pack of wolves. This method of government is cruel, weak, short-lived. Forgetting about justice, the autocratic ruler sows destruction around himself and sheds rivers of blood. Omnipotence corrupts him, even if he is honest by nature. Everyone's intuition is better than the wisdom of the most brilliant individual.
Of course, the cynic will answer this that the pressure of public opinion, vanity or shame have the same effect on man and wolf, since both are herd animals. But this point of view is vulnerable - it cannot explain the behavior of sages, heroes, and righteous people. There are a number of cases where herd mentality and vanity could coexist with hypocrisy and concern for saving one’s own skin, but a person nevertheless chooses a different path and does the “right thing”. Why does he do this? I believe because he obeys the voice of some higher principle that constantly lives in his soul. “Man is infinitely superior to man.” Moreover, there is no doubt that this principle, which can be called superhuman, since it pushes a person to actions that run counter to his personal benefit and the interests of his clan, is present in the consciousness of every person and makes its demands on him, unless he deceives himself or others . I am ready to call this universal human conscience god, but my god is not transcendental, but immanent. “So, you deny the existence of a transcendent God and a providence that determines the course of earthly events?” I do not deny anything, however, I repeat, I have never seen traces of the influence of transcendental will in the world around me.
“But aren’t you afraid of living in an indifferent world that the gods have abandoned?” I have to admit, it's not scary at all; I will say more, for my taste it is much calmer to remain alone than to be forever surrounded by gods, as in Homeric times. In my opinion, it is more comforting for a sailor caught in a storm to consider the storm as a play of blind forces, with which he must fight, calling on all his knowledge and courage to his aid, than to think that by some imprudence he has incurred the wrath of Neptune, and to seek in vain for a remedy appease the god of the seas.
Perhaps, in comparison with the Greek of Homeric times, we are alone - after all, we are not accompanied by immortal companions, telling us what to do, and holding our fate in their hands, but after all, luck awaited the ancient Greek sailor, in essence, only when he acted. He rowed, steered, maneuvered. This is available to us too. Only we can do it better because we know much more. We have learned to obey nature and control it. In the fight against the huge world around him, Ulysses could only rely on his own hands and a fair wind. We conquered and put into our service forces whose existence he did not even suspect: steam, electricity, chemical and nuclear reactions. Almost everything that the heroes of the Iliad and One Thousand and One Nights asked of the gods and genies, we learned to do ourselves. Our world is not chaotic, it obeys strict laws, and not the whims of fortune, so we have acquired such power over it that our ancestors never dreamed of.
Science can give man much of what nature has denied him: it cures diseases, regulates birth rates, increases agricultural and industrial production so much that it seems as if people all over the globe are about to live without worries and in complete contentment.
Even at the beginning of our century, the most knowledgeable people seemed to have every reason to think that a new Golden Age was coming and all that remained was to eliminate inequality and injustice. They believed that the day was not far off when the main task would become distribution rather than production. In fact, the Golden Age turned out to be the Age of Fire and Shame. Despite their knowledge and power, modern people are more unhappy than ever. “How did pure gold become despicable like lead?” While therapy and surgery fought for human life and alleviated his suffering, the war, which had become crueler than ever, brought unimaginable suffering to the people. Man used his power over nature not for creation, but for destruction. Politics and economics did not keep pace with the development of physics and biology. New inventions fell into the hands of people who could not cope with them and put them to their service.
Frightened, unhappy, these people became like their distant ancestors and, attributing supernatural power to their fears and hopes, they populated the indifferent world with gods and monsters... Do we really have nothing to hope for, will the unfortunate human race destroy itself along with the planet that serves as its haven?
I believe that disaster can be avoided. I repeat again: the world is indifferent, the world is neutral. No vengeful fate is hiding behind black clouds, threatening us with death. The salvation of humanity is in the hands of humanity itself. There have often been cases in history when desperate people thought that everything was lost. After the invasion of the barbarians and the fall of the Roman Empire, more than one pessimist, looking at the ruins of Gallic or Breton cities and the misfortunes of the people, must have said to himself: “Now the human race will never again live in joy and contentment.” And yet, monasteries grew in the thicket of the forests; the monks began to cultivate the virgin land and nurture virgin minds; great people attempted to revive great states. They succeeded. Our task is easier - we have to protect a civilization that is still alive and in many respects prosperous from destruction. We are not sure of success, because a gust of madness may engulf those groups of people over whom we have no influence, and they will blow up the globe. But we can still, albeit indirectly, influence them. The firmness of our convictions and the speed of our decisions will disarm those who threaten the future of humanity.
I believe that the latest discoveries will put an end to the closed life of individual peoples. Modern means of communication make it possible to govern territories much larger than previous states. Modern military technology is too powerful to make it worth taking risks and attacking each other.
Civilizations are like “enchanted castles.” They exist only as long as we believe in them. International organizations will become a powerful force if they are recognized by citizens of all countries of the world. I believe that nowadays it is the duty of all writers, scientists and statesmen to convince people of the need for creating such organizations. To be or not to be the globe - that is the choice we face. Either we shake hands with each other, or we destroy each other in a nuclear war.
As for domestic policy, I believe in protecting democratic freedoms and human rights. I believe in them for two reasons. Firstly, I believe that without freedom there can be no talk of human dignity or the happiness of members of society. Living under police surveillance, flinching at every rustle, fearing arrest, exile or death, being afraid to utter an extra word, constantly hiding your thoughts - this is not life. Secondly, I believe that freedom is the key to the strength of the state. Totalitarian states are colossuses with feet of clay; they look powerful only because of their propaganda, their ability to nip any conflict in the bud, and the speed and secrecy of political actions. A totalitarian regime misleads only romantics and the weak in spirit, who mistake the tyrant for a savior. But after a long struggle, freedom triumphs: this happened in both 1918 and 1945.
In a free country, the decisions of the authorities are constantly criticized. This criticism is harsh, sometimes even unfair, but it is useful. It helps correct mistakes. The tyrant never corrects his mistakes, because he hears only the voices of flatterers. As for the means of protecting freedom, I can’t offer anything new. The state of horror and anxiety in which many human beings in many countries live today powerfully reminds us of the urgent need to restore to peoples the rule of law that serves as the basis of happiness. Of course, every society needs police to maintain order, and the police should not be gentle. But a person can feel safe only under the protection of certain laws. I believe that these laws must be respected, and that the society that remains faithful to them will be the most durable.
The first of these laws is the separation of powers. The executive branch has no right to put pressure on the legislative branch. Members of the court must be appointed for life - otherwise ambition will not give them peace. A small number of highly paid and equal judges - this is the English system. Experience has shown that it pays off. The second law is the existence of a jury trial. Even if the jury is sometimes guided by political or parochial biases, if they are chosen from all segments of the population, the defendant has a much better chance of being judged fairly. In no case should you arbitrarily replace one jury with another, or hold sessions without a quorum. The third law: until the guilt of the suspect is proven, he must be considered innocent. He can be arrested only if, while at large, he threatens public safety. The arrested person must immediately appear before the court, which, if the crime is not proven, will return him to freedom.
I have listed the legal guarantees of freedom. The guarantee of these guarantees is political freedom. I call a state free or democratic where the minority recognizes the power of the majority, honestly won through elections, because they know that, having come to power, the majority will respect the interests of all citizens, regardless of their beliefs. “There are only two ways to rule,” said Kipling, “to cut off people’s heads or to count them by their heads.” A state where heads are cut off follows the path of violence. A group of like-minded people, backed by armed gangs or merciless police, can instill such fear in their political opponents that they immediately leave the scene. A company of killers gathers around one dictator, mistakenly called a party, although it is much more like a pack of wolves. Both ancient and modern history testify that this method of government is cruel, weak, and short-lived. Forgetting about justice, the autocratic ruler sows destruction around himself and sheds rivers of blood. Omnipotence corrupts him, even if he is honest by nature. Even if he himself were a saint, his successor would certainly turn out to be a monster. This system was tested hundreds of times, and each time it ended in failure. Caesar and Napoleon were men of rare intelligence and generosity. Nevertheless, Caesar was killed, and Napoleon, famous for so many victories, led France to defeat. Everyone's intuition is better than the wisdom of the most brilliant individual. The existence of an opposition is the main guarantee of democratic freedoms. This is my political credo.
As for private life, I believe that courage, honesty, loyalty, mercy have not lost their value and attractiveness in our days. “Loyalty for a man is like a cage for a tiger. It is contrary to his nature,” said Bernard Shaw. I agree, but virtues are not inherent in us by nature. All of them are the fruits of human will, the results of self-improvement. Why, even when left alone, without the help and support of the gods, does a person not lose his moral sense and give free rein to his animal instincts? Because he knows that in an indifferent universe, only those who trust people, who are connected with them by strong bonds of love, friendship, marriage, and patriotism, survive. Morality is unknown to the outside world, but nothing prevents a person from creating his own world and living in harmony with himself and with the people he respects, according to laws that give peace of mind and self-esteem.
It is not easy to cultivate a sense of duty, the ability to take on an obligation and fulfill it. Both our soul and body are stained by original sin; they are forever tormented by unrighteous desires, greed, hatred. I see two ways to resist temptation. First, remain true to your beliefs, no matter the cost. There are no small betrayals. Calmly listening to how your friend is reviled is already a betrayal. “In that case,” they will object to me, “we are all traitors.” No, because friendship is a rare and precious thing and should not be confused with ordinary acquaintances made for profit or entertainment. True friendship is selfless and sublime.
It is better to choose a political position once and for all and remain faithful to your party, no matter what mistakes its members may make, than to change your views every day depending on changes in the political situation. Anyone who wants to renounce his beliefs will always find reasons for this. It was not for nothing that Alain called the mind a public whore.
Alain also said that “you need to put the lower in the foundation of the higher.” Therefore, the second way to remain faithful to duty is to take obligations not based on abstract reasoning, but in accordance with your nature and temperament. So that our flesh does not prevent us from fulfilling our duties, let us take it as an ally. The effectiveness of this method is seen in the example of marriage.
People founded the first unit of society - the married couple - on instinct, on carnal attraction. I have long believed that marital fidelity is contrary to human nature. In marriage, desire becomes dull; people change; they are attracted by novelty. I was wrong: loyalty is not contrary to human nature in general, but only to the animal nature living in man. He who is able to overcome the power of instinct, remain faithful to his commitment, turn love into friendship, finds happiness in the union of souls, hearts and bodies, which more than rewards him for the sacrifice he has made.
Everything that has been said about marriage also applies to other ties that connect people. No one chooses a friend for any abstract reasons. “For he is he, and I am I.” Friendship, like love, is based on kinship of souls. To recognize this relationship, as a rule, it is necessary to get to know the person quite closely. Life itself brings us closer together. In a lyceum, a regiment, a prisoner of war camp, a trade union, a political party - wherever people communicate closely, live by common interests, confide their secrets to each other, they find friends.
Having moved to Paris, a person should not forget his village, his province. The connection with the native soil gives strength. Love for the “small homeland” does not drown out the love for the “big” homeland. Quite the opposite. Love for the “big homeland” consists of attachments to the “small” homeland...
The human desire, in defiance of the blind elements, to build one’s own reliable and lasting world is wonderful. Sometimes a person succeeds, albeit for a short time, but more often he fails. Not everyone has the happiness of falling in love with all their hearts and finding a devoted friend. Those who are not given this find refuge in the arts.
Art is an attempt to create another, more humane world next to the real world. Man knows two types of tragedy. He suffers from the fact that the world around him is indifferent to him, and from his powerlessness to change this world. It is painful for him to feel the approach of a storm or war and to know that it is not in his power to prevent evil. A person suffers from the fate that lives in his soul. He is oppressed by a futile struggle with desires or despair, by the inability to understand himself. Art is a balm for his spiritual wounds. Sometimes the real world is likened to a work of art. We often understand both the sunset and the revolutionary procession without words. Both have their own beauty. The artist organizes and subjugates nature. He transforms her and makes her the way a person would create her, “if he were a god.” Racine puts the most painful passions into the strict, pure forms of his verse. Bossuet lulls death itself with the measured rocking of his long periods*. Arriving at the theater, the viewer finds himself in a new world created for him by the author of the play, the designer, and the actors. He knows that he will see his own dramas here, but they will be ennobled. Ars est homo additus naturae [Art is man plus nature (Latin).]. Art needs a person; this man is an artist.
Similar to you and me, he is trying to create for us an orderly, intelligible world. But art also needs nature, the rampant elements and passions, the inexorable passage of time; contemplation of the abstract order alone will not awaken any feelings in us. We wish to see in a work of art nature transformed by the human spirit. Where there is no nature, the artist has nothing to transform.
Without passion there is no art. This applies to both the artist and the viewer. Beethoven would not have written his symphonies if his life had not been full of suffering: anyone who has lived a cloudless life will not understand Beethoven's symphonies. We understand poets and musicians insofar as they are close to us in spirit. Valéry, who did not experience Pascal’s hopeless melancholy, did not understand the greatness of his creations*, and we, who share Valerie’s woeful humility, are pleased to recognize in “The Marine Cemetery” our own feelings, clothed in perfect form. I believe that a person cannot live without poetry. People are drawn to different forms of art because they are overcome by different passions and anxieties, but they all need the artist to create a world intelligible to man. I believe that beautiful paintings, beautiful dramas and beautiful novels are as necessary to humanity as wise laws or religious rites. I believe that an artist, by creating his own world, saves himself and others.
Finally, I do not believe that we will be rewarded for virtues and punished for vices in the next world; quite often, although not always, we receive reward in this world. I don't know if we have an immortal soul. In my opinion, it is unlikely that a person’s thought would continue to exist after the disappearance of his senses, because thoughts are a consequence of sensations. However, the mechanisms of memory have not yet been sufficiently studied, so perhaps eternal sleep exists. Whatever it is, I'm not afraid of death. Those who await it with fear are haunted by the thought of a world where they will be both present and absent. They imagine their wife, their children, their home after their death and assign themselves the role of a spectator, looking from the outside at the suffering of loved ones. But death cannot be imagined because it is the absence of images. You can’t think about her, because with her all thoughts disappear.
Therefore, we need to live as if we were immortal. Which - not for the entire human race, but for each person individually - is deeply true.
Notes
Lecomte du Nouy, Pierre (1883-1947) - French biologist.
“Christianity has undergone a revolution... The Crucifixion of Christ affects each of us...” (André Malraux). - Quote from the memoir “The Hazel Trees of Altenburg” (published in 1948) by Andre Malraux (1901-1976).
Alain (real name Emile Auguste Chartier, 1868-1951) is a French philosopher and literary critic who had a huge influence on Maurois’s worldview. The main work is “Judgments” (published in 1956).
“Bossuet lulls death itself with the measured rocking of his long periods” - We are talking about oral sermons and “Funeral Orations” (1669) by Bussuet (Jacques Bénigne, 1627-1704); the style of these works is considered an example of oratory.
“Valéry, who did not experience Pascal’s hopeless melancholy, did not understand the greatness of his creations...” - The worldview of Paul Valéry (1871-1945) is the opposite of the philosophical concept of Blaise Pascal (1623-1662). Valerie is tormented by the thought of the tragic powerlessness of the human mind to penetrate into the essence of things. Pascal sees the tragedy of man in the initial inconsistency of his essence: the power of his mind, capable of understanding the world, is opposed by the insignificance of his nature, unable to overcome passions and suffering.
Eternal values
In the previous text we talked about the most discussed topic in the world - Love. It turned out that
Love has no definition, although it is the main motive of human behavior. But there is also
the opposite of Love is egoism, which, in essence, is its (Love’s) simple absence. In this
In the text we will try to trace the consequences of the above. And let's talk about Eternal values.
Prologue............................. ............... ........ 1
Black and white........................................ . 2
Freedom........................................ ......... .... 3
Justice............................................. 5
Family........................................ ......... ........ 7
Conciliarity........................................ ....... 10
Patriotism........................................ ....... 14
Prologue
Behind all human ideals - friendship, understanding, honor, etc. - stands Love. Everyone
our actions are driven either by Love or by the lack of it. A person can increase in himself
Love and reduce selfishness. True, this process is not quick. There is no such magic “pill”.
Growing in Love is a long and painstaking process of working on oneself.
It is Love that is the source of what has been called in philosophy since ancient times
virtue. If you look into the etymology of this concept and connect it with the meaning of the
words, it turns out: virtue is what pushes a person to do good. It's something that moves
person for good deeds. This is an active pursuit of good. And this is Love.
Virtues provide spiritual growth of the individual. There are quite a lot of virtues (courage,
honesty, sincerity, calmness, modesty, etc.) and all of them lead a person to goodness. Usually
in matters of virtues (personal spiritual growth) people agree. All people
They have approximately the same understanding of what good is. What intuitive level is a person always on?
feels whether a good deed is being done or not.
Therefore, humanity is still strong in its positions regarding virtues and best
spiritual values of an individual.
We want to enter the shaky field of human relationships and talk about what
begins to erode under the influence of modern civilization. It is in the area
interaction between people usually breaks most copies. The interweaving of Love and selfishness in
a person often takes on such a confusing and bizarre character that one
intuition is no longer enough.
Black and white
The division of all motives, as well as goals and means of achieving them, of a person into dictated
Love or selfishness allows you to easily and effectively separate black from white, good from evil.
With the proper degree of diligence, such an understanding allows one to unravel all the intertwinings of Love and
selfishness to follow Love. This is fundamentally different from the proposals of modern grief
“philosophers” who propose to live in the grayness of a world where there is neither black nor white.
Our position is expressed in the existence of ideals, truth, and not numerous,
relative and subjective “truths”.
During its existence, human society found the ideals by which they began to build
all civilizations to one degree or another. All cultures of the world “dangle” between these ideals.
We call them Eternal Values. Eternal values mean something immutable and true.
Eternal. These are the values of the entire human race from the beginning of time to its end.
It should be understood that selfishness can easily distort any ideals and virtues. That's why
whether or not a certain value is typical for a specific time period of a given
civilization is not so important. It is important that all societies return to these values in some way.
or their manifestation.
Eternal values are a rather interesting phenomenon. They help support and nurture
Love in a person through interaction with other people.
To our deepest regret, the modern world is saturated with artificial concepts,
on which humanity is trying to build a “new type” of society. The origin of these concepts
rooted in the revolutionary ideas of the last century, a painful thirst for rebellion “against everything”
old" and high (aristocratic), blind faith in the power of human reason and many
other unfounded fantasies of their founders.
same ideals: goodness, beauty and love. Therefore, to a person who has not carried out an in-depth analysis
the current situation, it is difficult to understand all these intricacies and twists
human thought.
Artificial concepts on the basis of which they are trying to rebuild modern society,
are based either on pseudoscientific conclusions of humanities scientists (after all, their concepts cannot be
check in advance experimentally what is the only criterion of truth in
real science), or on the outright fantasies of the same scientists, indistinguishable from
The result of this are monstrous experiments, one of which lasted for
70 years in our country and ended with a grandiose collapse, the echoes of which are still heard today.
Another experiment is being carried out in Western countries, where, under the guise of the same good intentions,
Slowly but surely Eternal values are being eroded. Duration of the “Western experiment”
leads to one interesting fact. We can already observe some of it today
consequences. But “by their fruits you will know them” [Matt. 7:16].
We are sure that when the ideal of Love shines above our heads, we will walk through the pitch darkness of modernity
much easier. Therefore, in order not to get confused in the intricacies of thought, let's direct this
spotlight and look at some trends in “civilized” society under the light of Love.
Liberty
The term “freedom” is one of the most overused today. They talk about freedom
MASS MEDIA. Freedom is talked about in the streets and kitchens. Freedom is promoted by films. Freedom
sung by artists, poets and musicians. Surprisingly, the freedom about which each of
We are sure - “I have it” - not for many years. The latest and most general edition of "freedoms"
was adopted less than 70 years ago.
If you look back into the depths of centuries and trace how the “theory of freedom” developed, then it is enough
it will quickly turn out: the idea of freedom, like all “human inventions,” quickly cooled and
lost its true meaning. A philosophically sound attempt to legally protect an individual
from the arbitrariness of another individual or state and thereby ensure the progress of society,
was rapidly degenerating. A person somehow quickly decides that he can think whatever he wants (freedom
conscience), and say whatever you want (freedom of speech).
The groundless identification of theoretical “freedom” and progress has led and leads to
to the fact that the propaganda of freedom comes down to the unbridled rejection of everything old. Sometimes without
parsing. Allegedly, everything old and traditional is a priori a deterrent
human development. Unfortunately, this often applied to the entire thousand-year experience
spiritual growth accumulated in the cradle of Christian civilization. And although freedom should not
lead to the abandonment of moral guidelines, loss of meanings and ideals, artificial
the implantation of “freedom”, devoid of its main quality - Love, ends in failure.
Such freedom degenerates into something absolutely alien to any sane person.
Russian people in all centuries have had some kind of intuitive understanding of that very correct freedom.
Therefore, the quirks of Western philosophical thought were often incomprehensible to our people due to
their complexity, but due to the loss of the true sound of the word “freedom”.
From a philosophical point of view, a person is free when he (a) is free in his thoughts, (b) is free in
in his speeches and (c) free in his actions.
First, we should make a reservation about a fundamental point. A person cannot be absolutely free
Maybe. A person cannot control or predict the circumstances in which he
it turns out. The only thing that remains for him is the possibility of choosing how to act in certain
other situations. This is freedom of choice.
However, absolute (complete) freedom of choice is an illusion. Truly free choice
can only be done with complete information (and funds), which is in principle unattainable. Any
the choice is dictated by a set of knowledge (facts, experience, ideals) and emotions. What facts to slip
person, he will make that choice. You can also evoke an emotion in a person that will provoke
a certain act. These are all manipulations that are well known. Therefore, obviously
statements about the need for information education, for example, on the topic of abortion, are false.
Supposedly a woman can decide for herself. However, practice shows when a woman finds out
real facts about abortion, the life of a baby in the womb and motherhood, she refuses this
monstrous operation.
Another, more subtle, lie lies in the formula: “The freedom of one ends where
the freedom of the other begins.” Usually the “freedom of another” is understood as the inviolability
his personality (cannot be slandered, insulted) and body (cannot be beaten, killed). Otherwise people
free. This is deceit. But to realize this deceit, you need to familiarize yourself with another
understanding of freedom.
The fact is that the idea of freedom originated in Christianity, where it had a much deeper and
mind-blowing meaning. According to the teachings of the Church, man was created by God. God
is the almighty Creator of everything and everyone. And almighty God, who can control,
to create and destroy absolutely everything, gave man freedom. The only thing God can't
control is a person. A person is free to do as he pleases. But here's how
since “good reason” was not enough for a person.
Why does a person need freedom? Everything is very simple. Freedom was given to man so that he could simply
live. Remember phrases like “this is not life, but existence.” Isn't this a craving for freedom? Yes and in
In general, you don’t want to be soulless machines, do you?
But there is another side to the coin. You can't be honest and faithful until you have
an opportunity to show honesty or loyalty. There is an opinion: “If you did not take a bribe,
it means they offered it poorly or didn’t offer it at all.” A person may imagine that
anything, but when he actually faces a choice, one of which is “well, very
may be a bribe, for some a relaxed life without a child, for others “free
a relationship without obligations,” for some, an apple from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The opposition between Love and selfishness in a person violates freedom of choice. Infected with selfishness
a person is always inclined to make a choice in favor of selfishness. Therefore, our deepest freedom,
there is freedom from our own evil (selfishness). We can choose between selfishness and
Love. But as soon as we choose selfishness, we begin to be drawn into the swamp of addiction.
A simple example: a person who does not drink can start drinking at any time, but a person who drinks
absolutely will not be able to give up drinking easily. Same with selfishness.
A person rooted in some manifestations of selfishness will not be able to easily abandon them. A
perhaps it won’t be able to at all.
Therefore, freedom of choice (as it is propagated by popular culture) is a myth of the global
scale. Given a choice, a person will always be inclined to act selfishly because of his
downed nature. A traveler may have freedom of choice, but is it useful when the compass is not
is it working due to a magnetic anomaly?
Another frequently asked question is: is a person free in prison? On the one hand, it is obvious that
his freedom of movement is limited. However, there is no freedom to think and speak. Thousands known
examples when, during times of persecution, unjust arrests and exile to camps, people with
limited freedom, retained incredible freedom of will. Their will could not be broken
to no one. The same cannot be said about people infected with egoism. Such people become an appendage
your passions. Having freedom of conscience, thought and movement, they are deprived of the main thing - will. Such
freedom to indulge passions is wretched and one-sided, this is the freedom of a drug addict.
Therefore, the golden rule of morality (don’t do to others what you don’t want them to do to you)
in the modern world is a necessary but not sufficient condition. If a person is spoiled
egoism, has no ideals, does not follow the moral law, then a masochist may well not
fit into this rule...
At the same time, a topic that is directly related to freedom is being hushed up today, because she supposedly
a relic of “traditional society.” This is the topic of responsibilities. It is from this, partly
opposite to freedom, a phenomenon that is so necessary for the fight against one’s own
egoism concepts such as duty, honor and principles.
Consumer society taboos everything that can limit its freedom to indulge selfishness. After all
It is well known that the restrictions that a person freely imposes on himself lead him to
spiritual growth, strengthening the will, reducing selfishness and growing in Love.
These are many spiritual practices: fasting, prayer, asceticism, hermitage,
meditation, obedience and so on. It is reliably known that children grow up in large families
more adapted, socialized, united and, most importantly, more
loving. In families with one child, he is likely to grow up more selfish.
Thus, freedom, in its present understanding, as freedom from selfishness, dependence and
passions are one of the main values of a person. True freedom lies in Love.
And such freedom must be protected by justice.
Justice
Justice is the second Eternal value and, like freedom, permeates all sides
human life. However, in the modern world the meaning of this concept often eludes
understanding. Instead, the more archaic “equality” is used. Although many still
politicians raise the slogan of “justice” to their banners, in particular
social justice, this slogan is based on the same notorious equality.
The idea of equality, like the idea of freedom, originated on the basis of Christian ideals. And just like the idea
freedom, in later times was deprived of its main dimension - Love. From the point
According to Christianity, all people are equal before God. This is their only and necessary equality.
People are equal before their Creator, just as children are equal before those who truly love them.
parents. Children may have different talents, may behave differently, may be more or less
less harmful, etc. But maternal Love will not make any difference between them.
The rest of human society is hierarchical. And, most importantly, hierarchy is natural
and the correct structure of any organism, including the social one. No wonder the word
“equalization” has a negative connotation.
If you look closely at the etymology of the word justice, it turns out that the core of this word is
“righteous” is close in meaning to the word “truth”. Remember, there was such a first Russian code of laws -
"Russian Truth"? If you dig deeper, the ancient Slavic adjective “prav” means
straight, not deviating. This is where the words “edit” (straighten), “direct” are formed
(indicate the straight path), “straighten” (align), “rule” (way of behavior), “correct”
(to do in accordance with the rule), etc. The word “righteous” means compliance (not
deviation) from truth (moral first of all). Hence justice - co-righteousness -
literally means “along with righteousness,” i.e. following the moral law, conscience.
From all this we can draw a simple and logical conclusion: equality before God means
equality before the moral law, i.e. ultimately we will all be judged after death
equally and in accordance with this law.
Subsequently, with the development of jurisprudence in the West, a new formula was derived: all people
equal before the law. On the one hand, the ideology of a “secular” state with the above-mentioned
the idea of “freedom of conscience” cannot assert the primacy of any one religion, although
It is obvious that the basis of the laws was taken from Christian morality. On the other side
lawmaking felt like a full-fledged legal science, and any science can study
only that which can in principle be known. God cannot be known in His fullness,
therefore it cannot be studied by science. These two conditions, not counting the pathos of atheism, turned out to be
it is quite enough to “replace” God with an abstract law.
The monstrous mistake is that, by analogy with the above, legal science does not
can consider Love as the basis and one of the main active forces in society. You
Do you remember that Love has no definition? She is as supernatural for science as God.
Science cannot measure it, which means it is not able to introduce it into its tools.
Ultimately, the primacy of the “law without love” leads to the fact that the judge in any case is looking for
only one thing: whether the action corresponds or does not correspond to the existing body of laws. The court did not
seeks justice. And if we remember that laws are written by people prone to selfishness,
It's getting really sad. Therefore, those unfairly accused often began to resort to court
jurors, hoping to be acquitted by others who reach a verdict based on
inner sense of justice.
In the future, to our deepest regret, people deprived of a moral system
became a substitute for Love and the only ideal. The measure of the “correctness” of social
development. Until now, by leaps and bounds, all kinds of fighters for equality are emerging, whose struggle
feeds not on Love, but on selfishness. We are all very familiar with examples of how, in general,
correct ideas such as equality of the sexes (before the law), devoid of a moral dimension and
Love, turn into even more terrifying extremes such as the philosophy of militant (and
feminism, unfounded by anything other than selfishness.
We should all understand that, at its extreme, human equality is “heat death.”
society. Heat death is a concept borrowed from physics. It means the state
They say that times are no longer the same, human values are obsolete and take on a different form. I can say with confidence that times are not the creator of good and truth. They never change, no matter what era we enter, it will always be pleasant to hear the truth, to know that you are sincerely loved and valued in friendship. But sometimes a person’s values can become distorted in the mind.
Bible teaching
The Bible is rightfully considered the most popular and best-selling book in the world. The wisest of the wise, she is able to instill love for man, freedom, and goodness. It is impossible to declare with certainty the non-existence of God, but this does not diminish the significance of the book. Remember the parables that teach you to love and forgive by practicing forgiveness. Perhaps the Bible was written not so much about God as it tried to unite us by faith in one and eternal man. How many millennia have passed since the book was written, how many generations have changed, what a high level of development humanity has reached - and sincere, pure love is still considered the noblest of feelings.
Do we follow spiritual values?
In the daily hustle and bustle of the modern world, where we need to carve out a place in the sun, we sometimes forget about human values. Education plays a major role in shaping attitudes and priorities. Family members, by their example, show the little person what they believe in, value and respect. It is important that words are always supported by actions. Having fled from the family nest, under the influence of friends or external circumstances, a person often changes his priorities. Only when we have lost the people who love us do we turn to God and the Bible, which point out our mistakes. The current era is called a return to morality and spiritual values. Animal protection and conservation of nature, charity and donations to children in poor countries.
Undoubtedly, this is a feat on the part of humanity. But this begs the insidious question of whether this is selfishness. We take care of nature in order to prevent its revenge in the form of cataclysms, and not because we are sorry. We donate huge sums to the benefit of the poor in order to avoid taxes, and a good name does not hurt. Giving a penny to a grandmother sitting near the passage is considered odd: “I didn’t earn money through hard work in order to give it to her.” Giving up a seat in transport to a pregnant woman is also not our responsibility. But these seemingly small actions show what human values are inherent in us.
We and those around us
When asked what feelings and qualities we value most, many talk about what they would like to see in others. In most cases, a person's values are honesty, sincerity, love, loyalty, and being needed. Do we demand honesty from others, but we ourselves are always honest with them? We want to be needed, but do we do anything for this? The moral values of a person lie in extorting them from others, without thinking about why others should give us what we are not able to provide in return.
A person needs to learn a lesson: we always get what we deserve. In order for changes to occur in your relationship with a person, start changing something in yourself, forgive the offender if you value him. Only the strong can forgive an offense, and Forgiveness is the smell that a flower emits when it is trampled on.