Philosophy/3. History of philosophy

N. Vorobyova O. B.

Samara state transport University, Russia

Religious bases for moral values in the works of philosophers of antiquity

The problem of the origin of moral values has always been important in philosophical topics. Of course the start of discussions is to be sought in the origins of philosophical thought – the ancient era. Starting from its classical stage, in the greater part of the differences between religious and non-religious justifications for the origin of morality, the scales tipped in the direction of the religious foundations of moral values of human culture.

In the history of philosophy can be traced a few solutions to this issue. "In some philosophical areas of morality were replaced by religion, others based on the alignment of religion with morality, and others led to the denial of both, and finally, the fourth created his theory to explain the origin of morality, except divine. The philosophy of the ancient world like no other opens these approaches in his teaching" [1, p. 68].

The beginning of a justification of morality from a religious point of view belongs to Socrates. He first discovered the inner world of man is the voice of conscience, linking it with the belief in deity. Xenophon wrote: "Socrates was convinced that the gods know everything – like words and deeds and secret thoughts, that they are everywhere present and give instructions to men about all human Affairs" [2, p. 9].

The idea of a holistic world order, created and maintained by God in Greek philosophy was continued by Plato. Morality (justice) – the good the strongest but not the strongest of people, and standing over the people of the state. In "the Laws" Plato clearly means the state is God. The power gets on a religious basis. "We have the measure of all things is the main God, much more than any man...So who wants to be kind to God, must as far as possible to be like him" [3, Pp. 168-169].

The line of Plato continues Plotinus, who believed that morality comes from a Single. The goal of man "up to it, winning itself the material principle, to merge with him in the learning process" [4, p. 57] when a man thinks: "what came from there, and exists in another, is a virtue" [5, p. 121]. Only then will dominate the lower (moral) virtues of the Supreme (religious) and live "is not a human life, even the life of a good man, which civil virtue considers equitable, but, leaving this life, he'll choose a different life, the life of gods, - for he is likened to the gods, not the good men" [5, C. 123].

Of the peripatetics, followers of Aristotle, Eudemus of Rhodes in "Evtimova ethics" sought to show the connection of morality with religion, which, ahead of Thomas Aquinas called God the measure of virtue: "when the choice and acquisition of wealth...contribute to contemplation of God... it is the most beautiful measure" [6, C. 87].

One common philosophical concepts in the world of late antiquity was stoicism. According to this philosophical tradition, the world is a single spiritual body comes from fire and returns to fire. The fire is like the world mind, the Logos, the law, and governs the life of the world: all this is preordained to them. People should listen to the voice of reason, identical to the voice of the God, connects man with the universe. It is hampered by passion, they can be managed by only the moral life and the ability of man to control himself.

Religious line stoicism leads to Epictetus: "If people could grasp the idea of God the father of all the gods, I think that their thoughts about themselves there would be nothing ignoble and low." One of its most important ethical imperative is to glorify God, "praise and enumerate his mercy." The only hope of man the philosopher is to yield to God, to "what God wants" man "and want what God does not want this and he did not want" [6, p. 182].

On the East Line of the Empire, Neoplatonism gave way to Christian theology in the West "Anici Manli Torquatus Severin Boethius turned the view of the Stoics about the wisdom of the universe in theodicy" [7, p. 18].

Literature:

1. Vorobyova O. B. the problem of the origin of morality. Ancient philosophy // Science and culture of Russia: materials of International scientific-practical conference. - Samara: Samara State, 2011. - S. 68-70.

2. Xenophon. Memories of Socrates. – M.: Nauka, 1993. P.9.

3. Platon. Laws // the works. - M.: Thought. Vol. 4. P. 168-169.

4. Vostriakovа U. Epistemological understanding of the concept of "representation" in ancient philosophy // Philosophical and methodological problems of science and technology: interuniversity collection of scientific papers. – Samara, 2005. P. 55-58.

5. Dams. ENNEAD. – SPb., 2004. – P.121-123.

6. Huseynov A. A., irrlitc G. a short history of ethics. - Moscow: Mysl, 1987.

7. Vorobyova O. B. the philosophy of the late ancient world: ethical-religious aspect// the System of values of modern society. 2010. No. 12. P. 18-21.

8. Belyakova O. B. Golden rule as the fundamental principle of human society // Science and culture of Russia: materials of III International scientific-practical conference devoted to Day of Slavic writing and culture in memory of saints Cyril and Methodius. - Samara: Samara State, 2006. - P. 78-79.