Common Morality as Part of the Objective Spirit: Nicolai Hartmann’s Insights concerning the Cultural and Historical Dimension of Morality

The aim of this paper is to explore the cultural dimension of morality that is seldom discussed in contemporary moral philosophy. Referring to Nicolai Hartmann and his theory of the spiritual being, I intend to show how morality does fit into the totality of objective spirit and which general and specific features of morality may be described. Furthermore, I will discuss several promising insights following from that approach, such as a view on the relation of common morality and conscience, the emergence of social conflicts concerning moral principles and interactions between morality and other areas of culture and society.