Cognitive-Linguistic Status of Ethical Knowledge and Ways of Its Representation

The article is devoted to the study of the cognitive nature of ethical knowledge, its essence and substantive contours. There is no classification of ethical knowledge in science, so the formats of its representation and its types have not been determined. The aim of the article is to identify the cognitive foundations of morality, its rational or sensual nature; to determine the ethical knowledge based on its characteristics and classification according to types of representation in knowledge formats. To prove the representability of ethical knowledge a conceptual analysis of the concept “responsibility” is carried out; a value-labeled algorithm of a person’s moral behavior is presented in the ethical script. A cognitive ethical scenario of the category “compassion” is considered; an evaluative categorization of the concept’s “pity” and “ruthlessness” are given; a frame model of the concept “virtue” and the representability of ethical knowledge in knowledge formats (concept, scenario, evaluative categorization, frame, cognition) are constructed. The study also identifies features of ethical knowledge with their definitions, their classification that is carried out based on the criteria of what it is, and what it should be. The authors recognize the cognitive nature of ethical knowledge and consider it can be an information product of cognitive activity, that is tested for truth, expressed as new knowledge, while which person is evaluating behavior, represented in knowledge formats. In the article scientists’ points of view according to which ethical knowledge relates to the theoretical level of knowledge, metaethics or to the practical level of knowledge, practical ethics or philosophy are analyzed. The authors adhere to the statement that ethical knowledge has a dual nature (practical knowledge that regulates human behavior, theoretical knowledge, norms, principles, ethical knowledge). In the course of the research, the following scientific results were obtained: the cognitive essence of ethical knowledge was revealed confirmed by the features of its cognition (informativeness, truth, verifiability, knowability, representability). The authors’ positions which recognize the cognitive nature of ethical knowledge of cognitivists are reflected. The features of ethical knowledge with their definitions are identified; the classification of ethical knowledge is carried out based on the criteria of what it is and what it should be. The level of scientificity and practicality of ethical knowledge is determined. The conclusion is made about the existence of scientific (metaethics) and practical ethics; the cognitive measurability and representability of knowledge through knowledge formats has been proven. Conclusion about that the ethical knowledge has a cognitive status is drawn. The knowledge obtained as a result of cognitive-linguistic activity, provides new information about kinds of behaviour, ways of regulating value relations between people, knowledge about moral values, categories, norms verbalized with the help of language units.