ON THE IMPERATIVENESS OF ETHICS. BACK TO KANT’S ETHICS!

The relevance and existential significance of Kant’s imperative ethics are substantiated. It is shown that in the modern world, the gap between high-tech actions and individualistic ethical norms is the basis not only for the loss of a person’s existential identity, but also threatens the existence of people and civilizations. Cognitive ability, determined by the natural inclinations of people, is in continuous and accelerating development. The focus on obtaining the desired result contributes to the increasing role of pragmatic, purposeful actions, in which a person loses the ability to formulate goals independently. Following an individualistic ethic has created situations in which it has become possible to produce a person with a “given set of needs.” The increasing degree of alienation of the individual from the uniqueness of his own being leads to the conclusion that a person becomes a “goal for himself” if he is able to obey the moral law, following duty, and not feelings. The essential property of Kantian morality, which ensures its autonomy, is transcendentalism, the presence of a priori forms of practical reason, which act as a condition for the appearance of “maxims” of behavior. The peculiarity of Kant’s morality is expressed by the term proposed by M.K. Mamardashvili - tautology. The action is “in accordance with duty”, tautological, it does not seek to achieve anything other than the fulfillment of duty. It is the tautology of morality that allows us to see the ultimate goal in a person. The ability to subordinate “natural inclinations” and cognitive abilities to ethical norms allows you to gain autonomy of personal existence. The generalizing conclusion is the thesis that the categoricality of Kant’s position has always been criticized by representatives of different philosophical movements. Meanwhile, the logic of the development of civilizations, the nature and speed of the spread of threats are the basis for the actualization of Kant’s ideas.