Moral self-regulation. Impeccability (the problem of successful moral self-regulation)

What Ethics and Aesthetics Research and Teach

Ethics

· Ethics is the science of the rules of behavior in society. The subject of the study of ethics is morality.
Ethics is the science of morality, good and evil.

· Ethics is a system of knowledge that allows people to distinguish good from evil, beautiful from ugly

· Ethics is a branch of philosophy that studies moral issues

· Ethics is the science of morality, and morality, in turn, is a set of moral rules, norms and principles of behavior of people in relation to each other and to society.

Aesthetics

· Aesthetics is a science that studies and determines the principles of beauty in this society

· Aesthetics is the founder of art, teaching about beauty.

· Aesthetics represents the science of sensory knowledge of the world, comprehension and creation of beauty

15. Moral values ​​and moral regulation

Moral values

• Moral values ​​are a system of human understanding of the world, containing an assessment of everything that exists from the standpoint of good and evil, understanding of happiness, justice and love, which allows us to establish a connection between a person’s actions and the generally accepted system of social values.
• Moral values ​​are eternal and universal values ​​that are the basis of the spiritual unity of society and humanity
• Moral norms are social norms that regulate a person’s behavior in society, his attitude towards other people, towards society and towards himself. Moral norms indicate the boundaries beyond which behavior ceases to be moral and becomes immoral. Values ​​are essentially the content that is stated in norms.

Moral regulation

· Moral regulation is self-regulation, determined by the individual’s ability to independently, through awareness of the duties, duty and responsibility assigned to him to society, direct, control, evaluate and emotionally experience his behavior. A generalized expression of this ability is presented in the concept of “conscience.”

Ø The system of moral regulation includes:

* norms - regulations, rules of conduct, combined into a code. They, in turn, are divided into:

* generally accepted reference samples (positive norms ),

* prohibitions, absolute prohibitions (the general meaning of which is “do no harm”). Unlike positive norms (“be kind”, etc.), absolute prohibitions do not leave any freedom for interpretation.

Moral standards indicate the boundaries of what is permitted. Human behavior is considered immoral if he ignores the norms, and extramoral , if a person is not familiar with the norms;

* values (goodness, justice, etc.), which are:

* patterns of behavior, thinking and experience recognized as moral guidelines.

Values, unlike norms, do not change over centuries. Moral values ​​constitute a hierarchy in which we can distinguish highest values And ideals (highest goals of personal development);

*an important component of moral regulation is question about the meaning of life. By asking them, people want to understand their purpose, their place in the world;

* the next component of moral regulation is moral principles - universal formulas of behavior (for example, the principle of love for one’s neighbor). Principles:

* clearly formulated (in the form of slogans, etc.);

* may be associated with ideology and express the interests of a social group.

* Strict adherence to the principles of high morality is called rigorism.

Moral regulation is of the nature of:

* evaluative(people's actions are approved or condemned);

imperative, moral rules are presented (sometimes imposed) as models of behavior.

Morality correlates the real behavior, consciousness and experiences of people with ideals, spiritual and moral guidelines (“how it should be”).

Moral consciousness person includes:

Habits (automatically observed moral standards);

Reflection (thoughts);

Intuition (intuitive solutions in difficult situations);

Moral feelings.

Moral self-knowledge and self-attitude are valuable not so much in themselves, but in the context of human life as the most important factors of its moral self-regulation and self-improvement. Moral self-consciousness, in essence, acts as a practical-volitional, determining and directing moral activity of the individual as its subjective regulator. It is neither an absolutely passive epiphenomenon, as the neobehaviorists believe, nor a completely spontaneous engine of behavior, as the existentialists claim. Self-awareness is an externally conditioned, relatively autonomous internal determinant of a person’s moral activity. The effectiveness of social regulation of moral relations in the modern world is the higher, the more the latter relies on the self-regulation of the behavior of each individual.

The ensemble of social relations does not create the generic essence of a person and does not unambiguously determine the specifics of its active existence. Man is a self-directed being. Each of its essential features has the property of purposefulness. What is common to all people is the desire to realize oneself, to allow oneself through oneself to see objectivity in the objective world and to realize (fulfill) oneself. The need for self-objectification and self-regulation is expressed differently in individual individuals depending on the specific features of their existence and essential forces that are expressed in their activities.

In sociology and psychology, in physiology and cybernetics, the idea of ​​a person as a complex open and autonomous, self-aware and self-governing microsystem, organically included in the social macrosystem as its main active component, and is in constant interaction with others, has been established.

Such an understanding of man excludes both his absolutization of the spiritual factor, which initially determines his activity regardless of the social environment, and the limitations of human behavior by the totality of their forced reactions to external stimuli. Man's self-management is a dialectical unity of the conscious and unconscious, in which priority belongs to self-consciousness. Without self-awareness, neither self-control nor management of one’s own actions is possible, although the degree of self-government varies in different periods of social and individual development. The statement that freedom precedes self-awareness, acting only as a condition and background for its manifestation, is a mistake. The very formulation of the question is erroneous, because will and self-consciousness are interdependent, interpenetrate, arising and developing as facets of the holistic, conscious, free activity of man.

The primary sources of moral activity are not inherent a priori within a person, but are located in society, forming moral needs and abilities in it, prompting various forms of interaction with other individuals and groups within the framework of a certain system of norms and values. However, a person is not a passive object controlled from the outside with the help of commands and sanctions, but a conscious subject who controls himself on the basis of self-SPON. Her behavior is directly determined by subjective reasons, which acquire relative independence, acting according to the degree of internal necessity.

The moral essence is not given to the individual from the very beginning (neo-Thomism, personalism) and is not a product of “real” existence, self-construction (existentialism), but is formed and manifested in the process of moral activity, is its deep basis, prerequisite and result, mystifying the moral activity of the subject, a number of philosophers consider self-realization as the ultimate goal towards which our “Unique self” strives (F. Beardley, P. Tillich), the highest innate ability and conscious need for the implementation of the “idealized self” (A. Maslow, G. Allport), the creative creation of one's "existence" through free self-choice (J.P. Sartre, S. de. Beauvoir), self-actualization in "productive love" for one's neighbor (E. Frommu in "productive love" for one's neighbor (E.. Fromm).

The moral self-realization of an individual, the objectification of his social essence in actions, in his entire lifestyle, is limited by the framework of social and individual capabilities and needs. Not every human activity is his moral self-actualization, but only that in which he freely defines and affirms his moral needs and abilities, principles and ideals, that is, active self-activity aimed at the independent realization of socially and personally significant goals and tasks.

In moral activity there is a conscious self-expression and self-disclosure of the moral potentials of the individual - his inclinations and desires, readiness and ability to voluntarily and disinterestedly do good. L. The human need to “prove myself - to know that I did it” is one of the fundamental amentalities.

Self-realization is closely related to personal self-affirmation, but is not limited to it. Some authors cite differences between these concepts (S. L. Berezin, E. F. Mayorova, N. I. Shatalova), while others identify them (D. D. I. Antropova, N. M. Berezhnoy,. B. I. Cabrini, D. N. Kogan, V. A. Maltsev, V. F. Safin). Self-determination, self-expression, self-affirmation of an individual in society are possible only through the “objectification” of his social essence in practice in communication. It is objective-practical activity that is the self-affirmation of man as a conscious tribal being. A person asserts his moral value in the world and in personal consciousness only by realizing his own. I am using moral activity. If the motives for moral self-realization of the subject are duty, conscience, and a sense of dignity, then the immediate motives for moral self-fulfillment are feelings of honor, the desire to ensure and increase one’s positive moral status before public opinion, and to leave a good mark on real life and the memory of descendants. Acting as one of the forms and results of a person’s realization of his moral potentials, self-affirmation can turn into an end in itself. Like self-realization in general, it expresses the social essence of a person more fully or partially, adequately or incorrectly. In some specific historical conditions, creative work, social activity, mutual assistance become a way for a person to manifest and affirm his essence, and in i.e. Others - self-interest, competition, careerism, violence, competition, karism, violence.

The moral development of the individual appears in the unity and struggle of self-affirmation and self-denial. By ideally and actually affirming the good principles in ourselves, we preserve and affirm our morality. I, at the same time critically reviewing and discarding old views that became unacceptable to us, overcoming bad habits and character traits. Interaction with other people “is not an absolute negation of my moral essence,” as existentialists believe. “Only my existing existence, completeness, ending is denied. My action in some aspect denies me, and in some aspect it transforms, reveals and realizes ".

Self-denial, like self-affirmation, can have not only a pro-social, but also an anti-social orientation. Distorted forms of self-affirmation in the form of cynically immoral behavior simultaneously act as a refutation of the personal. I am a person’s conscious refusal to realize his positive moral capabilities, a betrayal of his own conscience as a denial of the social essence in himself. The destruction of a person’s moral nature can occur as a result of various social or psychophysiological reasons that do not depend on the will and consciousness and are only subjectively experienced as self-alienation, depersonalization, etc. With amosabuttya, when forgetting others, it loses its positive moral meaning, turns into ostentation or aimless self-denial. Voluntary complete self-denial due to the impossibility of fruitful self-realization, loss of the meaning of life is identical to spiritual collapse, and sometimes physical self-destruction of a person (syndrome). But under certain specific historical conditions, self-sacrifice for the good of other people and society becomes a necessary form of moral self-affirmation. Self-giving and self-forgetfulness, and in exceptional cases - heroic dedication in the name of good, deeply express the social essence of a person. Wholeheartedly devoting ourselves to social activities, caring for the happiness of those near and far, we forget about their gratitude, clear conscience, high dignity, and then dedication becomes the moral self-enrichment of the individual. An important prerequisite and necessary condition for a person’s moral self-realization is his spiritual and practical self-determination as a moral subject. It acts as a search process and an act of choosing oneself, one’s position in society, etc. The result of a person’s self-determination is the qualitative certainty of intentions and actions, life plans and lines of behavior, moral stability and reliability.

Moral self-determination is distinguished by the fact that external demands become internal self-esteem of the person, who at the same time retains his autonomous self-esteem. Self-determination expresses the measure of a person’s moral will and at the same time limits it to the framework of social necessity, since here general principles become the essence of personal self-awareness of moral activity, in general, it occurs as a consciously regulated freedom of self-activity, individual moments of which may also have a subconscious, involuntary nature. In its mature form, purposeful self-regulation acts as control over one’s own behavior, which becomes possible thanks to the moral freedom of the individual. External and internal determination of actions not only does not exclude, but certainly presupposes their strict self-assessment based on the mind and conscience of everyone. Moral will is the subject’s ability to independently make decisions and voluntarily perform actions in accordance with adequately recognized moral necessity. Without free choice, moral self-regulation is generally impossible, since a person bears full responsibility for his actions only if he committed them with complete freedom.

It is necessary to distinguish between public moral necessity, which manifests itself in the form of the interests of various societies and is recognized by them in the form of moral principles and norms, differs from individual moral necessity, in which the interests and needs of the individual are recognized by a person as moral beliefs and aspirations that ensure self-regulation of behavior. The degree of personal moral will is determined by the degree of coincidence of individual interests with public ones and the level of reflection of this correspondence in the consciousness of the individual.

Successful self-government presupposes a constant influx of sufficiently complete and correct information about the conditions of flow and the nature of our moral activity. Active search, selection, storage, processing and use of this information is carried out by moral consciousness, which is aimed at the social environment and the subject himself. For the free realization of moral requirements, “it is necessary that a person be able to see not only around himself, but also to descend into the depths of his own spirit, strive to find himself and consciously develop his subjective capabilities.”

Information received from outside allows you to create an adequate model of the situation of choice, including knowledge about the spiritual atmosphere in society and the moral and psychological microclimate in the group, about the system of ethical values ​​and moral practices of the community and its individual representatives, about moral requirements, wishes, expectations, assessments and sanctions associated with our actions. The model is no less important in moral self-regulation. The self is constructed by self-awareness on the basis of information coming “from within.” Since self-knowledge in general is the first necessary condition for freedom, a person’s comprehension of his moral nature is an essential prerequisite for his moral choice. Information about his own way of life and thoughts, values, lines of behavior, requests and possibilities, in unity with external information, are subject to processing by consciousness, on the basis of which programming, forecasting and correction of one’s moral activity is carried out.

A program of behavior, objectively given to us in the most general form as a set of moral requirements and recommendations, addressed to everyone equally. But the social program will turn into “algorithms” of moral activity only when it becomes a personal task, a code of requirements independently proposed by everyone on the basis of conscious “self-programming.” With this understanding of the specifically moral way of programming a task in each specific case, a person acts as a self-legislator of his behavior. It is important not only to voluntarily obey moral impulses from the outside. No less important is the moral duty to resist any coercion to immoral action. At the same time, for reproductive-normative activity it is not at all necessary to have a high level of moral self-awareness. Lisistry becomes morally mature when it realizes itself as a self-seeing subject of creative activity, obligated and capable of creating and developing new relationships between people and developing new insights between people.

The moral norm of society turns into the normative convictions of a person if she understands with her mind and accepts with her heart for granted, fair, desirable, that it has a deep meaning for her. It is also necessary that the norm of belief become a property of good will - a norm - an incentive, a subjective principle of behavior, a dictate of conscience, an attitude that expresses the desire and readiness to lead in the proper manner.

“In general, the moral duty in me as a free subject is at the same time the subjective right of freedom of my way of thinking.” And this is possible when the norm is not only rationally and emotionally assimilated, but also practically mastered in the form of needs, inclinations, abilities, skills and habits, that is, it has firmly entered into the moral practice of a person. Only then does moral self-awareness acquire an internally imperative character and, no matter in what vector we recruit appeals to ourselves, the voice of conscience will sound to us categorically insistently as a moral expression of will. Otherwise, the norm will remain an external desire, an abstract desire, sometimes incomprehensible and distant to us, from the fulfillment of which we hiddenly or demonstratively evade or formally indulge it, are forced to, pleasing others or fearing general sanctions. Social norms are implicitly or explicitly in the consciousness of an individual and influence his behavior in one way or another, but are not always present in the “phenomenal field” of self-viewing, regulating his moral activity. Internal-personal self-esteem and social demands may not coincide in moral content and forms of manifestation. But, since a person, faithful to his interpretations, cannot fail to fulfill his own personal norms without the risk of disintegration of self-awareness and integration of self-awareness.

To manage oneself as a moral subject means to conduct oneself, in accordance with convictions, personal principles of behavior, to direct one’s moral activity to achieve a worthy goal, using morally justified means. The criteria for assessing this goal and means are the moral norms and ideals of a given society interpreted by the individual. While ensuring relative orderliness and stability of moral relations, norms and rules simultaneously provide a person with a certain freedom of moral creativity. Penetrating deeply into the structure and content of self-consciousness, they create a coordinate system on the basis of which the subject independently navigates social reality and himself, and coordinates his actions with common interests. Because the world never fully satisfies us morally, in our activities we strive to change it in accordance with the understanding of goodness as an external requirement reflected in our consciousness. But “goodness, goodness, good intentions remain a subjective property” until they are realized in actions.

Moral activity thus acts as a change in the social environment and self-change of the subject on the basis of a practical solution to the contradictions between the existing and the proper, the real and the ideal, based on the acceptable interests of the community. On a subjective level, these contradictions are recognized and resolved on the basis of moral choice, carried out in the process of determination and motivation.

Human activity is not only purposeful, but also acts as a cyclical process. Hegel viewed the goal as the subject's essential desire for self-determination and self-empowerment, as in. Ichin of oneself and strength, encourages self-manifestation. The goal is within oneself, the motivation for self-realization. Ethics proceeds from the fact that although the goals of activity are not imposed on a person outwardly as completely distant, they are not immanently inherent in it as absolutely independent of the world. Celenization as a specific function of consciousness is a form of self-spontaneity in human behavior. The moral goal of a being is objectively given to each individual in an imperial-integral form, and it becomes his subjective goal, since it is perceived in the form of specific tasks that have to be solved practically. The appropriation and implementation of moral values ​​is impossible without a self-fulfilling moral goal - a prototype of the due and necessary maybutnyogbutny.

Moral self-awareness is a kind of “kingdom of purpose” (I. Kant), independently formed and realized by the subject in the process of internal activity, which is directly aimed at the implementation of certain actions. A specific moral goal is predicting the results of an action in which the interests of society and the individual are realized. It manifests the active volitional attitude of the subject in a present or imaginary situation and towards himself, projecting himself into the future through anticipatory reflection - foreseeing the consequences of his moral activity. Purposefulness is a free choice based on a comparative assessment of options for a possible goal. Another person can make me do something that is a means to her end, "but she cannot make me make her my end, and yet I cannot have any end unless I make it my own." In the process of moral goal-setting, a person considers and uses himself as a means of realizing his goal and at the same time as an end in itself. To choose a goal, she needs not only to take into account objective conditions, but also to be aware of her subjective capabilities and desires.

purposefulness synthesizes knowledge of the objective world and value-prognostic self-awareness as a dual function of consciousness, in which there are contradictions between the existing reality and the need to change it

There are no aimless and unmotivated actions (unlike non-moral actions). We do not always fully think through our ultimate goals and deep motives, but the immediate goal and immediate inner motivation are more or less clear to us. Moral activity is tsilesdiysnennyam - the implementation of a long-term line (hierarchy) of moral goals - near and far, private and general, simple and complex, concrete and abstract. A private (tactical) goal gives me an idea of ​​what to do, how to act in a given situation, and a general (strategic) goal allows me to determine why I intend to do a series of actions. Both immediate and more distant goals become the motives of an action as its internal impulses or the moral foundations of a certain line of behavior. The goal becomes a direct incentive-motive in the form of an awareness of a slow aspiration, desire, and intention to act in an appropriate manner.

On the other hand, not only the goal is a subjective incentive for our moral actions. Feelings and inclinations, beliefs and drives, desires and habits directly or indirectly motivate us to various actions, filling them with specific moral content, giving them a unique form. Only the most primitive levels of motivation are characterized by the syncretic indivisibility of motive and goal. At a mature stage of moral activity, the transfer of motive to the immediate goal occurs to the extent that an individual act acquires immediate intrinsic value for the person. In most cases, the act is not performed for its own sake.

The ways of realizing the result of our actions are ambiguous: it is worth separating cilenapolaganya as its mental anticipation from anticipation as an intuitive guess about it in the name of achieving a significant goal, acts as motives, morally substantiates and guides yoga.

Moral motive is a specific internal engine of moral self-regulation of an individual. Psychologists consider a motive as an object that stimulates the subject’s activity to satisfy a certain need (A. N. Leontyev) as a verbalization of a goal and program of activities for its implementation (K. Obukhovsky), as a subjective incentive to purposeful actions in a specific situation (V. T. Aseev,. B. S. Merlin, S. G. Moskvichev, A. V. Petrovsky, G. P ancient). In the first case, the motive is identified with any stimulus; in the second, no distinction is made between motive, desire and decision. It seems more acceptable to define a motive as an ideal motivating reason for a person’s actions, which is based on his needs, interests, and normative values. The motive becomes morally significant because it serves as a subjective incentive and basis for actions, expressing a person’s attitude towards the interests of others, society as a whole from the standpoint of goodness and obligatory goodness and obligatory language.

A person is a conscious author and tireless creator of moral goals and motives, which express a meaningful attitude towards someone else’s and his own good and for which he is responsible to society and to himself. In this aspect, her self-awareness acts as a motivation for moral activity, and moral motivation acts as a way of functioning of the latter.

It is sometimes argued that a person is not responsible for his motives because they can arise spontaneously and remain morally neutral until they are translated into actions. We cannot agree with this, because, in p. Firstly, motivations for actions are transformed into good or evil intentions, becoming the result of a conscious choice, and secondly, a motive is potentially immoral if it encourages them to cause direct or indirect harm to others, although at the moment the person refrains from implementing it.

The motivation of moral activity in ethics is considered, on the one hand, as a system of moral motivations of a person, different in their social value, on the other hand, as a spiritual act and a process of value choice or the most significant motives - the subjective basis for decision making. Moral level of motivation, determined both by the value orientation of the person and the situation of choice “Motive is the result of the subject’s self-determination in the complex structure of the task.” Situational behavior often reveals a gap between abstract value systems and specific motives for actions. In such cases, the person tries to disguise real motives under generally accepted moral values. On the contrary, a high level of moral motivation is characterized by a stable unity of moral beliefs and lines of behavior in any life situation.

As a rule, a person’s actions are multi-motivated and are the result of the interaction of a number of internal motivations. Based on the priority of public interests over private ones, the moral self-awareness of the individual and the subordinate motives of his behavior. It is important what is the true place of this or that motivation in the hierarchy of motives, in which relationship it is with all others and which is the dominant tendency in the system of motivation of a given person. Under certain conditions, the fundamental interests of society in the self-awareness of people can take the form of exclusively personal motives, and selfish motives acquire the appearance of being socially theirs. At the same time, progressive morality, respecting (but not absolutizing) the sovereignty of the inner world of the individual, justifies and supports his desire for individual good, since it does not contradict the common good, and is not carried out at the expense of the interests of others. The determining factors for the right moral choice remain the motives of goodness, justice, and duty, which are based on the progressive interests of society and society. In conflict situations, motives expressing narrow egoistic interests should yield and submit to broader social motives.

Sometimes they identify moral motives that motivate an individual to charity as an end in itself, based on moral needs and beliefs (G.N. Gumnitsky, N.D. Zotov, V.N. Sherdakov, etc.). Such motives include only social and altruistic motives, command, duty, and conscience. The motives of actions directly or indirectly aimed at achieving personal good (caring for one’s own happiness, harmonious development, dignity, authority) are utilitarian and are considered non-moral. Rightly emphasizing the unselfish nature of the highest moral motives, these authors interpret this particularity as the complete disinterest of the subject in the consequences of the act for himself, as opposed to his istically rozhunkovsky desire for personal gain and gain.

This kind of “ethical purism,” by absolutizing the autonomy of “purely moral” motives, turns all moral activity into an end in itself. But even. Kant, despite the extreme rhetoric of his ethical systems, recognized the rights and duties of man in relation to himself as a being endowed with feelings and intelligence as morally justified. He characterized ensuring one’s own dignity, purity of conscience, moral and physical health, well-being and perfection, and the fight against one’s shortcomings as the responsibility of the individual to himself and to humanity in his own person. This humanistic tradition was developed by French materialists. Feuerbach, revolutionary democrats and democrats, too.

In modern philosophy and sociology, egoism and altruism are often interpreted as the expression of two socially legitimate and morally justified types of motivation, conditioned by the natural properties of individuals, respectively. E. Oldenquist, egoism is a “concept of self-consciousness” that considers. I, as an individual, identify with the desires, assessments, actions of individuals, and for altruism, the egoism of the group, I am part of a species in which each individual feels similar to each other, similar to others.

Historically and ontogenically, the capacity for moral motivation arose from the reactions of individuals to social commands and prohibitions, incentives and sanctions, which direct and limit their individual will according to the general interest. Only on the basis of motivations and coercion from others does a person learn to control himself, taming his egoism, subordinating his actions to his own good will. The importance of endurance, self-control, self-discipline in relation to one’s affects, passions, inclinations and desires was emphasized by Indian yogis and Roman Stoics. Descartes. Spinoza. Locke. Kant argued that self-compulsion to fulfill duties, honesty by suppressing natural inclinations in oneself is the highest manifestation of moral will. According to objective conditions, the struggle of motives, as a fatal collision of duty and inclination, conscience and motivation, ceases to be the dominant form of moral choice. Voluntary fulfillment of a duty as a conscious need becomes the leading motive of a morally mature personality. At the same time, here there is a need for self-restraint, self-coercion, self-restraint, especially in situations of conflict between social and individual, altruistic and egoistic, social and biological, rational and emotional. We do not have power over our feelings only because they are largely formed and manifested against our will. But everyone is free and reasonably obliged to be critical of their own feelings, affects, etc. Astroy must give them a moral assessment, reject or accept them as motives for an action, taking into account the possible social consequences of the inheritance.

The more acute the struggle of motives, the stronger the volitional tension necessary to make and implement the optimal decision. The moral culture of freedom is expressed not so much in not doing what one wants, but cannot, but rather in doing what one does not want, but must. In order to realize his moral essence, a person learns to independently motivate himself to achieve a socially and personally significant goal, showing all the more moral energy and perseverance in overcoming external and internal obstacles. The ability to provide decisive resistance to negative influences, either from the outside or from the inside, from where they are given as strangers in relation to one’s own conscience, is an important condition and sign of the moral immunity of the individual, his moral reliability, stability. The moral motive in itself is not always directly compelling to moral influence; usually there is an active influence of the individual on his own will through feelings of duty, conscience, the utmost mobilization of capabilities through self-persuasion and self-hypnosis, self-promotion and self-chanting, self-praise and self-encouragement. Self-encouragement and self-condemnation. It is important that reasonable good expression of will does not develop into reckless bad arbitrariness. And this is impossible if the decisive motive becomes a progressive moral idea - the leading principle by which a person is consciously guided in his activities. Such ideological conviction is not a formal rational knowledge of the good, but a passionate “aspiration (desire) of a person.” Truly moral self-spontaneity is not dispassionate, and “only dead, and very often crafty, morality opposes the form of passion as such.” All other things being equal, the motivating force of a moral motive is directly proportional to its emotional ignition, which reaches its highest intensity at the most crucial moments in the life of society and especially in the life of an individual.

The moral motive in the self-regulation of behavior performs the function of not only stimulating actions, but also their value justification. At their core, these are different functions connected by the unity of origin and participation in the behavior of the individual. The need for moral self-justification of future and rehabilitation of past actions is formed on the basis of their social sanction. Personal motivation of their students in an individual psychological form of interest reproduces the logic of their ideological justification in a given society. Where the need to comply with the rules of behavior is usually argued by reference to customs, laws of ancestors, the will of the gods, individuals do not try to give a rational explanation for the actions they have committed; self-justification of an act by a person is predominantly a rational process of its moral justification, self-defense through the establishment of value arguments in favor of a certain choice. In this regard, motivation acts as meaning - clarifying for oneself the moral significance and one’s actions. To limit the motivations to Freudian “rationalization” in the spirit of apologetic self-rehabilitation for the sake of calming sick pride means clearly simplifying the process of justifying decisions made by conscience. In a situation of moral choice, especially when there is a conflict of motives, their assessment and final decision is the result of the joint work of the mind and intuition. The justification of the optimal life option is often accompanied by a self-critical review and condemnation of other alternatives.

In our opinion, there is no need to contrast the justificatory function of the motive with the meaning-creating ones. To justify or accuse oneself of something means to give one’s actions a positive or negative moral content, to explain to oneself and others their social and personal significance; in order to comprehend the ethical value of one’s action, it is important not only to understand its immediate objective result, but also to realize the distant goal for which it occurs, that is, to determine its main meaning-forming motive (intention). Depending on the social significance and place of an act in the system of moral activity (as an end in itself, or as a means of achieving a more significant goal), a person receives different moral content. The action did not become an act, aimless, unmotivated (which seems so), a meaningless phenomenon. ABSU is friendly for those around you and the subject himself (or for one of the parties). There may be a gap between how a person explains her action to others and what meaning it has for herself. This discrepancy may be the result of deliberate deception of others or spontaneous self-deception.

At a certain level of socio-psychological maturity of the individual, as a result of the relationship of one’s own properties with the motives of activity, content is articulated in the structure of self-awareness. I, who is an important condition for self-realization. Awareness of one's moral value is, first of all, an understanding of the hierarchy of goals, motives and results of life activity (individual actions, day lived, lifestyle). This is the solution to a number of complex “personal problems”, and “special internal work is required to solve such a problem and, perhaps, throw away what has been revealed.” One of the most responsible and difficult tasks is to determine the moral content of one’s entire life, based on leading value orientations and strategic goals as the ultimate basis for choosing a lifestyle. The content of life is often found in difficult moral searches (how and for what to live), in overcoming the contradictions between the requirements of the social ideal and the content of one’s own life activity, subjective thoughtfulness and objective results, true and false views and placid glances.

To a certain extent, the value of a particular person is determined by what he sees as the main meaning of human existence and how he realizes his concept of life. False beliefs and plans that contradict the interests of the progressive forces of society spoil the subjective content and objective meaning of the life of a given individual, and an erroneous solution to vital problems distorts his goal. The wrong choice of life path based on mistakes leads to bitter disappointment in oneself and in life, to the search for solace in new illusions and myths.

The need to understand the meaning of life acts as a problem of assessing one’s own existence, which sooner or later faces a person, since “understanding the meaning of one’s life is a necessary condition for its normal functioning, that is, the concentration of all abilities and their maximum use.”

The incentive-motivational stage of moral self-regulation of the individual ends with the adoption of a decision, which directly leads to its executing stage. In decisions, a benevolent intention appears in the form of a specific plan, in which a conscious goal, as a rule, determines the method and nature of a person’s actions, subordinating his good will to it. Since at this stage the goals of actions are determined, a rational choice of the most appropriate means for their implementation is established, taking into account internal and external conditions. Making an optimal decision involves a combination of reproductive and constructive, stereotypical and tactical approaches to the use of public and personal moral experience. The adoption and execution of a decision acts as the culminating moment of a moral choice, determining the direction of moral activity and its consequences for others and the subject himself. Not everyone has the determination or courage to take on the burden of responsibility for the decision made, or to overcome the psychological barrier associated with their timely transition from intention to action. In this case, the moral attitude acquires special significance as an expression of the subject’s readiness to implement his beliefs and decisions in actions, relying on his own moral experience. The level of moral activity of an individual largely depends on the depth, stability and effectiveness of his attitudes. To do good, one must also be able to independently act to the end, casting aside doubts and hesitations, completely relying on one’s moral rightness and not being afraid of risk. In this case, “a moral choice is not just a choice of action, but, first and foremost, a choice of oneself as an individual.” At the transitional stages of life, one has to make a fundamental decision that will determine the entire future path of life, in contrast to tactical plans, which serve as a means of implementing strategic “target programs” in specific actions for specific initiatives.

Self-regulation of moral activity is impossible without self-control both at the incentive and, especially, at its executive stage. The essence and significance of self-control over human behavior in ethics are interpreted in detail. ZNOM. Existentialists condemn social control as a form of coercion and suppression of the moral freedom of the individual; they also deny the need for self-control, which limits its spontaneous self-realization. Social and behavioralists (J. Mead, B. Skinner, T. Shibutani, etc.), recognizing the importance of self-control in a person’s behavior, at the same time reduce it only to a type of social control, which is considered formally and historically. Marxist ethics proceeds from the fact that moral self-control is formed on the basis of direct and indirect social regulation and control of human behavior using one’s own moral and extra-moral means. Now, in the process of development of society in the degree of transition from rigid “dynamic” control over the actions of individuals to more and more flexible “statistical” social control, the importance of introverted mechanisms of self-control mechanisms of self-control increases.

The specifics of moral self-control in ethical and psychological literature are not sufficiently disclosed. In the Dictionary of Ethics, self-control is defined as “the independent regulation by a person of his behavior, his motivations and impulses with the help of prejudices, feelings, habits, and self-esteem.” Yes, firstly, moral self-regulation should not be reduced only to self-control, and secondly, by definition, it is not clear what its special role is in regulating individual behavior. In our opinion, the main function of self-control is to ensure maximum compliance of the results of moral activity with the performance and intentions of the person. This is achieved, on the one hand, by checking the correctness (moral value) of decisions made and actions taken on the basis of conscience, and on the other, by preventing and practically correcting identified errors (deviations from the norm - goals and norms).

Moral control over oneself acts as a single mechanism of self-report, self-esteem, and self-correction of moral activity. To control your actions and impulses, you need to be clearly aware of them. Osmas explicate their social and moral content. At the incentive stage of self-regulation, a person, through conscience, compares the set goals and means with his moral beliefs, and at the executing stage, he inserts the achieved final and intermediate results directly with the decision and indirectly with general moral guidelines. Taking into account the deviations from the chosen direction and plan of behavior and behavior, the subject corrects your actions, selects and applies the means that are most suitable for the purpose and circumstances. The effectiveness of self-regulation depends on a person’s ability to anticipate the reactions (evaluations, feelings, actions) of others and first determine their optimal actions, taking into account the interests of society, the team, and individuals. It’s not a matter of skillfully manipulating and juggling one’s actions according to generally accepted rules and expectations (J. Mead, B. Skinner), not of sealing, repressing and replacing irrational impulses with the help of rationalization (S. Freud, C. Horney), but in the ability to identify oneself with others and skillfully pursue one’s own line of behavior based on the correct convictions.

Self-control at one level or another is always present in a person’s management of his behavior, but the degree of its effectiveness depends on the situation, age and individual moral and other characteristics and the subject. The need for conscious control over oneself increases with increasing social and personal significance of the actions performed, responsibility for them, when the mind and attention are sharpened, the will and memory are strained, the moral experience and energy of the individual are mobilized. On the contrary, under normal conditions, when performing ordinary and insignificant actions, self-control is weakened to a minimum, again connecting to moral self-regulation with the least complications of the situation. Emotional and volitional uplift, associated with confidence in one’s moral righteousness, a heightened sense of responsibility, readiness and determination to complete the work begun, increases the effectiveness of self-control. But excessive stress, especially in extreme conditions, can cause a depressing effect on the mind and will, reduce and therefore even paralyze the ability for sober self-control, and extremely limit the moral self-judgment of the individual.

Moral self-control is manifested primarily in a person’s ability, through volitional effort, to block spontaneous impulses and actions that contradict his moral principles. “Restraint is cultivated by internal discipline, the ability to control oneself.” Self-control, self-discipline, the ability to be critical of oneself, timely limit and suppress one’s desires and habits, mood and affects, negatively affect relationships with others, indicate the maturity of the individual’s ability to self-control. “To hold on in a moral sense means not allow myself to become demoralized and disorganized, but I can maintain a sober assessment of the situation, cheerfulness and fortitude.” Together, it is important to have the necessary degree, beyond which insufficient or excessive external control gives rise to lack of control and irresponsibility of individuals. Smart self-control with flexible social control contributes to the moral stability and reliability of the individual and the reliability of specialness.

“Control yourself,” we say to ourselves or to someone else, which is more often interpreted as “be patient.” Is this really true? Is it possible to control yourself without harm to your health? Is it possible to step back from problems, change your attitude towards them, learn to manage your own? Yes. Self-regulation is the ability to manage your emotions and psyche in a stressful situation.

Self-regulation involves assessing the situation and adjusting the activity by the individual himself, and, accordingly, adjusting the results. Self-regulation can be voluntary or involuntary.

• Voluntary implies conscious regulation of behavior in order to achieve the desired goal. Conscious self-regulation allows a person to develop individuality and subjectivity in his activities, that is, life.
• Involuntary is aimed at survival. These are subconscious defense mechanisms.

Normally, self-regulation develops and forms along with a person’s personal maturation. But if the personality does not develop, the person does not learn responsibility, does not develop, then self-regulation, as a rule, suffers. Development of self-regulation = .

In adulthood, thanks to self-regulation, emotions are subordinated to the intellect, but in old age the balance shifts again towards emotions. This is caused by natural age-related decline in intelligence. Psychologically, old people and children are similar in many ways.

Self-regulation, that is, the choice of optimal implementation of personal activity, is influenced by:

• personality traits;
• external environmental conditions;
• goals of activity;
• the specifics of the relationship between a person and the reality around him.

Human activity is impossible without a goal, but this in turn is impossible without self-regulation.

Thus, self-regulation is the ability to cope with feelings in socially acceptable ways, accepting norms of behavior, respecting the freedom of another person, maintaining safety. In our topic, the conscious regulation of the psyche and emotions is of particular interest.

Theories of self-regulation

System activity theory

Author L. G. Dikaya. Within this concept, self-regulation is considered both as an activity and as a system. Self-regulation of functional states is an activity that is associated with adaptation and the professional sphere of a person.

As a system, self-regulation is considered in the context of a person’s transition from unconscious to conscious, and later forms brought to automatism. Dikaya identified 4 levels of self-regulation.

Involuntary level

Regulation is based on nonspecific activity, processes of excitation and inhibition in the psyche. The person does not control these reactions. Their duration is not long.

Custom level

Emotions are involved, the need for self-regulation arises in difficult situations of fatigue and stress. These are semi-conscious ways:

• holding your breath;
• increased motor and speech activity;
• muscle tension;
• uncontrolled emotions and gestures.

A person tries to awaken himself, as a rule, automatically; he does not even notice many changes.

Conscious regulation

A person is aware not only of discomfort, fatigue, tension, but can also indicate the level of an undesirable condition. Then the person decides that, with the help of some methods of influencing the emotional and cognitive sphere, he needs to change his state. It's about:

• about will
• self-control
• auto-training,
• psychophysical exercises.

That is, everything that is of interest to you and me within the framework of this article.

Conscious and goal-oriented level

The person understands that this cannot continue like this and that he must choose between activity and self-regulation, that is, eliminating discomfort. Priorities are set, motives and needs are assessed. As a result, the person decides to temporarily suspend activity and improve his condition, and if this is not possible, continue activity in discomfort, or combine self-regulation and activity. The work includes:

• self-hypnosis,
• self-order,
• self-conviction,
• introspection,
• self-programming.

Not only cognitive but also personal changes occur.

System-functional theory

Author A. O. Prokhorov. Self-regulation is considered as a transition from one mental state to another, which is associated with reflection of the existing state and ideas about a new, desired state. As a result of a conscious image, corresponding motives, personal meanings and self-control are activated.

• A person uses conscious methods of self-regulation to achieve the imagined image of states. As a rule, several techniques and means are used. To achieve the main goal (state), a person goes through several intermediate transition states.
• The functional structure of self-regulation of the individual gradually develops, that is, habitual, conscious ways of responding to problematic situations in order to maintain the maximum level of life activity.

Self-regulation is a transition from one state to another due to internal switching of work and the connection of mental properties.

The success of self-regulation is influenced by the degree of awareness of the state, the formation and adequacy of the desired image, the realism of feelings and perceptions regarding the activity. You can describe and understand the current state by:

• bodily sensations;
• breath;
• perception of space and time;
• memories;
• imagination;
• feelings;
• thoughts.

Self-regulation function

Self-regulation changes mental activity, due to which the individual achieves harmony and balance of states.

This allows us to:

• restrain yourself in;
• think rationally during stress or crisis;
• restore strength;
• face the adversities of life.

Components and levels of self-regulation

Self-regulation includes 2 elements:

• Self-control. Sometimes it is the need to give up something pleasant or desirable for other goals. The beginnings of self-control appear as early as 2 years of age.
• The second element is consent. We agree on what we can and cannot do. After 7 years of age, a person normally already has formed consent.

For the development of conscious self-regulation, it is important to have the following personality traits:

• responsibility,
• perseverance,
• flexibility,
• reliability,
• independence.

Self-regulation is closely related to the will of the individual. To manage his behavior and psyche, a person needs to build new motives and motivations.

Therefore, self-regulation can be divided into 2 levels: operational-technical and motivational.

• The first involves the conscious organization of action using available means.
• The second level is responsible for organizing the direction of all activities through the conscious management of the emotions and needs of the individual.

The mechanism of self-regulation is life choice. It turns on when you need to change not circumstances, but yourself.

Self-awareness (an individual’s awareness of his own characteristics) is the basis of self-regulation. Values, self-concept, self-esteem and level of aspirations are the initial conditions for the operation of the self-regulation mechanism.

Mental characteristics and properties of temperament and character play a significant role in the development of self-regulation. But without motive and personal meaning it doesn’t work. Conscious regulation is always personally significant.

Features of self-regulation by gender

Women are more susceptible to fear, irritation, anxiety, and fatigue than men. Men are more likely to experience loneliness, apathy and depression.

The methods of self-regulation used by men and women also differ. The men's arsenal of methods is much wider than the women's. The difference in self-regulation between the sexes is due to several factors:

• historically established differentiation of social roles;
• differences in the upbringing of girls and boys;
• specifics of work;
• cultural gender stereotypes.

But the biggest influence is the difference in the psychophysiology of men and women.

Women's methods of self-regulation are more of a social nature, while men's are biological. The direction of male self-regulation is internal (directed inward), while female self-regulation is external (directed externally).

In addition to gender, the characteristics of self-regulation are associated with age, mental and personal development of a person.

The formation of self-regulation

Attempts to consciously use self-regulation methods begin from the age of three - the moment when the child first understands his “I”.

• But still, at 3-4 years of age, involuntary speech and motor methods of self-regulation predominate. For every 7 involuntary, there is one voluntary.
• At 4-5 years old, children learn emotional control through play. For every 4 involuntary methods of self-regulation there is one voluntary one.
• At 5-6 years old the proportions level out (one to one). Children actively use their developing imagination, thinking, memory, and speech.
• At 6-7 years old you can already talk about self-control and self-correction. The proportions change again: for every 3 voluntary methods there is one involuntary one.
• Next, children improve their methods, learning them from adults.
• From 20 to 40 years, the choice of self-regulation methods directly depends on human activity. But most often, conscious volitional methods (self-order, switching of attention) and communication as a form of psychotherapy are used.
• At the age of 40-60, manipulations with attention still persist, but they are gradually replaced by passive rest, reflection and bibliotherapy.
• At the age of 60, communication, passive relaxation, and reflection and comprehension predominate.

The formation of a self-regulation system largely depends on the social situation of development and the leading activity of age. But that’s not all. The higher a person’s motivation, the more developed his self-regulation system is, the more it is able to compensate for undesirable features that interfere with achieving the goal.

Self-regulation can not only be developed, but also measured. There are many diagnostic psychological questionnaires. For example, the basic questionnaire of V. I. Morosanova.

As a result of mastering the art of self-regulation, each person writes out his own recipe for “calming”, which in psychology is called a functional complex. These are actions, or blocks, that a person must complete in order to normalize his condition. For example, this complex: take a deep breath, listen to music alone, take a walk.

Can we control our brain 100%? Find out from the video.

V. E. CHUDNOVSKY

AGE PSYCHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF MORAL SELF-REGULATION OF BEHAVIOR

At high school age, the social situation of development changes significantly. Focus on the future is a characteristic feature of a senior schoolchild (L. I. Bozhovich). He still lives the real life of a school student, but at the same time he is already approaching the moment when life outside of school after graduation will become a reality. The future increasingly influences its current reality, changing and transforming it. Unique conditions are created for the formation of the student’s personality, including its stability. In fact, relative emancipation from immediate influences can only take place when a person subordinates his actions and actions to certain guidelines that allow him to evaluate the situation in the light of a more or less distant future. The characteristic focus of a high school student on the future creates favorable psychological conditions for the formation of the ability to subordinate one’s actions to distant guidelines. The great importance of motives associated with the future gives rise to the desire not only to act within the framework of a given situation, but to plan the future and self-determinate in it. This significantly determines the features of cognition of the surrounding world by older schoolchildren: if a teenager goes to cognition of the outside world largely “from himself”, through his experiences, interests and aspirations, then a high school student, cognizing the outside world, recreating in his mind a more or less complete idea of ​​it , “returns to himself”: “What do I mean in this world?”, “What place do I occupy in it?”, “What am I?”, “What are my capabilities?” Interest in one’s own personality, attempts to understand its characteristics, advantages and disadvantages determine the high school student’s desire for moral knowledge and self-education (A.Ya. Aret, 1961; L.I. Bozhovich, 1968; N.S. Leites, 1971; L.I. .Ruvinsky, 1969).

The attitude towards peers also becomes more selective and personal. “What is he like as a person - my classmate, comrade, friend?”, “What are his advantages and disadvantages?” - such questions are typical for high school students. They also strive to clearly define their attitude towards some of the actions of their peers. At the same time, as research shows, boys and girls often display maximalism and uncompromisingness, sometimes bordering on mercilessness. This selectivity is most clearly manifested in the romantic relationships between boys and girls characteristic of this age. If you have in

Considering, on the one hand, physical acceleration and the associated accelerated puberty, on the other, the tendency of high school students to discuss and solve moral problems, it will become clear why these new relationships are characterized by a close interweaving of the romantic principle with the desire for their moral comprehension and evaluation. This type of relationship begins to occupy a significant place in the moral development of the student and the general formation of his personality.

So, a high school student is characterized by a focus on the future, and his increased physical and mental capabilities create a certain self-confidence, often turning into self-confidence. At the same time, a high school student is still characterized by a reassessment of values ​​typical of a teenager; his moral views are only just taking shape. In analyzing complex phenomena of the surrounding reality, they often lack the flexibility and life experience of older generations. Therefore, a collision with any fact that does not fit into the framework of views and beliefs developed by high school students can lead to a significant and painful breakdown in life ideas. Lack of sufficient experience, youthful maximalism, great emotional excitability make this age easily vulnerable.

This largely explains the peculiar attitude of high school students towards adults; as already mentioned, it becomes very selective and critical, at the same time, a special, enthusiastic attitude is established towards some adults who have attractive personality traits, which is somewhat reminiscent of the attitude of younger schoolchildren towards adults. Of course, the similarity here is purely external. A significant difference between a high school student in relationships with adults is the fact that he is characterized not generally by the need for guidance from an adult, for external support in order to feel protected, but by the need for help and support to improve his own system of self-regulation, develop independence and determination.

At this age, the most favorable preconditions for satisfying such a need are actually created. All

the course of previous intellectual and moral development prepares the student for the assimilation of a scientific and moral worldview (N.A. Menchinskaya, T.K. Mukhina, 1976). Knowledge about the world around us and information about the basics of morality are combined in the minds of a high school student into a single picture. This contributes to changing the student’s system of moral self-regulation, which becomes more complete, meaningful and flexible. Beliefs formed on the basis of scientific knowledge and life experience are increasingly becoming the main guidelines for behavior and determine relative independence, independence from incoming situational influences. Of course, this process does not end at high school age; it only lays the foundations that ensure further improvement of the system of moral self-regulation.<...>

It is moral stability that begins to form among high school students; the student acquires the ability to be relatively emancipated from direct influences and to transform circumstances. Unlike younger ages, a high school student’s ability to optimally use his individual characteristics increases. This makes it possible to achieve results in various types of activities, organizing the professional side of the activity in accordance with one’s capabilities. Apparently, it is precisely in the differences procedural side of an individual’s activity is his ability to transform his own behavior.

Relative emancipation from the situation, transformation of circumstances and one’s own behavior increasingly begin to depend on the nature of moral impulses and their hierarchical structure. This means that with age the dependence of personality stability on meaningful side of motivation, from the nature of the personality’s orientation.

Chudnovsky V.E. Moral stability
personality. - M, 1981.-S. 176-180.

In debates and question-and-answer evenings on moral topics in which we had to participate, the overwhelming majority of questions were “about love” or “about friendship,” and friendship is very often just another name for love. High school students are interested in the features of these relationships, their moral assessment, what is “possible” and what is “not allowed,” what is reprehensible from a moral point of view, etc. Of course, this is quite natural: for the first time, a forbidden topic becomes permitted, available for open discussion and, as it were, introduces boys and girls to the world of adults. The desire to understand new experiences, comprehend a new type of relationship and include them in the system of orientation in the world around them and in themselves becomes an urgent task for high school students.

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As Fyodor Dostoevsky said, “in order to act smartly, intelligence alone is not enough.” In many cases, in order to distinguish bad from good, harmful from useful, noble from unworthy, no special wisdom is required. There are things that are simple and understandable even to a small child, and yet it turns out that people very often, knowing perfectly well the wrongness of their behavior, still continue to do what ruins them, what destroys their health and their lives. The simplest example is smokers, alcoholics and drug addicts. Hence the enormous importance of the problem of the effectiveness of moral self-regulation.

If there are no transpersonal values ​​in a person’s life, no vertical dimension and no spiritual aspiration, then how does he differ from an animal? Only those who have a deep inner need to live with dignity can escape from the “squirrel wheel of samsara” (A. Rovner). But what does it mean live with dignity and how can this be achieved, how can this deepest need of our spirit be realized?

I believe that living with dignity means living flawless. As I already said, impeccability (Carlos Castaneda's term) means the consistency of a person's behavior and his life beliefs. Thus, the second issue we now turn to is the issue of integrity and personal strength required to live in accordance with one's own beliefs. Each of us knows from our own experience how difficult this is. Lack of integrity is a universal disaster. Almost all of us have this internal split, this gap between moral beliefs, our idea of ​​“what is good and what is bad” and our real life behavior. To live with dignity, you need to become your own master, that is, gain the ability to manage your behavior and your emotions. Every person who has taken the path of self-improvement has to deal with this most difficult and truly fatal problem. What are the possible ways to solve it?

In understanding the path of self-improvement, there are two extreme approaches, each of which carries an important and deep truth and, nevertheless, often turns out to be ineffective due to its absolutization and due to the underestimation of the opposite approach. As Niels Bohr said: “Every great truth has the peculiarity that a statement diametrically opposed to it in meaning is no less profound truth.” . These are asceticism - the path of struggle with oneself, the path of direct volitional effort, and meditation - the path of effortless awareness, detached observation of the contents of one’s own psyche. Intense effort and passive contemplation, asceticism and meditation - how do they relate to each other?

Let us first consider that disharmonious, but, unfortunately, often encountered approach, in which asceticism denies meditation, and meditation denies asceticism.

The path of asceticism, neglecting meditation.

This is the path of direct volitional self-regulation of one’s own behavior, the path of effort, the path of struggle and self-overcoming. This is the path of religious ascetics who mortify their flesh. The center of gravity of this path is constant control of one’s own behavior. Expressed in Christian terminology, this is the path of “internal warfare” (that is, an internal battle with oneself). At the same time, a person constantly forces himself to behave well and, through an effort of will, does not allow what is prohibited. In Chinese culture, this is the way of the Confucians. Constant self-control and self-discipline among the Confucians sometimes resulted in the form of a kind of “spiritual accounting.” Confucians kept a diary in which at the end of the day they recorded good and bad deeds, for each of which a corresponding positive or negative point was awarded. At the end of the day, week, month, year, the total score was calculated, and the self-improving husband could see how successfully the process of accumulating good merit was going.

On the path of self-coercion, direct volitional regulation of one’s behavior is usually combined with certain psychotechnical techniques, through which the image of the desired quality is strengthened in the student’s mind (meditation on the desired spiritual qualities).

Disadvantages of this path:

1. The choice of the correct line of behavior is carried out on the basis of a certain religious and moral concept, that is, it is based on the mind. And this, as the history of religion shows, is a very shaky support. This raises the problem of the adequacy of the chosen direction of volitional efforts.

2. Meditation on any positive quality means simultaneous suppression of the negative quality opposite to it. At the same time, we remain within the framework of duality, because by affirming, for example, love, we thereby repress and suppress our own aggressiveness, as if compressing the internal psychological spring. As soon as the intentional pressure on this spring weakens (during a period of reduced self-control), it will break out and release all the accumulated aggression.

3. Direct volitional regulation of one’s behavior leads to the cessation of self-indulgence, that is, to the cessation of satisfying many unworthy desires and needs developed throughout life. For example, a person smoked for many years, poisoning himself and those around him, and finally decided to put an end to it. Another example is information gluttony, the habit of watching TV and entertaining reading material. Finally, the person realizes the harmfulness of this habit (wasted time and littering his psyche with information slop) and makes a courageous decision to stop the indiscriminate absorption of information.

What happens then? What happens when a person begins a “new and bright life” in which there is no place for self-indulgence in any of its forms? This change in behavior leads to the so-called state of frustration, which is characterized by an influx of negative emotions due to the cessation of satisfying a certain need. A change in behavior, produced through direct volitional effort, starts the process of purification at the level of the causal body (the subtle body of a person, which imprints the motivational structures of a person - his specific desires, drives and needs). It is called causal because these motivational structures are the cause that gives rise to our thoughts, emotions, experiences and our external behavior.

The deep driving forces imprinted at the level of the causal body can be likened to the root of a plant, which, although invisible, since it is located deep in the earth, nevertheless gives rise to branches, leaves, flowers and fruits - thoughts, emotions, words and actions.

Thus, the path of ascetic self-overcoming produces the strongest cleansing (removal of blockages) at the level of the causal body, that is, at a more subtle level than that which is accessible to meditative awareness. As a result, under the pressure of new behavior (more precisely, under the pressure of abandoning previous behavior), the corresponding psychoenergetic dregs pour out from the niche-sinks located at the level of the causal body, from the depths of our own psyche that are not perceived by us, and appear on its surface, falling on a person with all its dirty contents. In this case, a painful “withdrawal” occurs at the level of the physical body and an influx of negative emotions. Such withdrawal syndrome is observed whenever we follow the path of self-overcoming, no matter what it concerns: whether it is giving up alcohol, nicotine, sexual abstinence, or changing behavior to free ourselves from bad character traits, for example, the practice of unquestioning submission for a power-hungry, the practice of generosity for greedy, the practice of restriction for food or information gluttons, etc. At the same time, a lot of extremely convincing thoughts and arguments appear aimed at returning to previous behavior. Along the way, I will note that our mind, which we are so accustomed to be proud of, because it is what distinguishes us from animals, makes us the king of nature and the “crown of the universe,” very often plays the very unenviable role of a hired lawyer in the service of the mafia of our egoism. At the same time, the educational, intellectual and general cultural level does not save us from self-deception. It is known that the more eloquent the seducer, the more dangerous he is.

With persistent and uncompromising adherence to the chosen ascetic course of behavior, the situation worsens, a sharp violation of the existing emotional balance occurs with a pronounced predominance of negative emotions. During this period of life, a person suffers and endures, and there is nowhere for him to escape from suffering. Of course, someday this painful period will end and “he who endures everything to the end will be saved.” That is, the period of cleansing will end, the person will be completely freed from the desire that previously enslaved him and will reach a different, higher level of mental and spiritual development.

Unfortunately, few people are able to endure and follow the path of asceticism to the end. The fact is that in proportion to the increase in suffering, the increase in negative emotions, the strength of motivation aimed at returning to previous behavior also increases. Ultimately, as a rule, there is a breakdown. This is the path of Christian asceticism: we begin a new, righteous life, then we endure and suffer, then we break down and sin again, then we repent and make a new attempt with the same programmed result. A person falls into a vicious circle, sins and repents, sins again and repents again. Thus, for most people, with the exception of a few who are harmonious, integral and strong in spirit, attempts to become spiritual and lead a perfect life solely through direct willpower are like a person wearing an inflatable life jacket trying to dive to the bottom for pearls.

The Tao Te Chin says: “The stricter the laws and decrees, the more thieves and robbers.” And there: “This world is a divine vessel. It cannot be given the desired shape by imposing one’s will. Anyone who tries to forcefully shape it will only harm it.”

The path of meditation that rejects asceticism.

It consists of emphasizing awareness-meditation combined with a dismissive attitude and even rejection of ascetic volitional effort. The most famous representatives of this approach today are Sri Aurobindo Ghose and Bhagavan Sri Rajneesh (Osho). If Sri Aurobindo, paying great attention to the development of consciousness through meditation and self-observation, simply ignores the path of asceticism, then Rajneesh openly denies it. Rajnesh’s position is the requirement of “honest self-expression”, refusal of volitional effort, self-coercion, subject to the cultivation of awareness. It does not require self-restraint and mortification of the flesh, but requires being aware of everything that happens in us and with us. The path proposed by Rajneesh comes down to two main components: effortlessness plus awareness.

Why is the refusal of effort, of direct volitional self-control and self-coercion wrong and dangerous? The fact is that our conscious attention works best in that area of ​​the psyche, the functioning of which is ensured by our most powerful energy channels and energy centers. In the same area that is associated with the weakest channels and centers, awareness acts the worst, its cleansing and enlightening effect for this area of ​​the psyche is minimal. Thus, in the sector of the psyche that is most purified, it is most developed, and awareness is high. Within this sector, mindfulness meditation is easy and produces good results. However, conscious attention penetrates into the most blocked zone of the psyche with great difficulty, overcoming incredible resistance, and often cannot penetrate at all. Our attention is pushed out of this zone with enormous force. In this sector of the psyche there is a “dead”, “impenetrable” zone, inaccessible to awareness.

The main conclusion: the human psyche is heterogeneous and the light of his consciousness illuminates its different parts differently.
Meditation-awareness, practiced as a self-sufficient method, without volitional efforts, as Osho (Rajnesh) calls, will not be able to ensure successful spiritual development. It cleanses well the most developed areas of the psyche and almost does not affect the weak ones. What to do? The problem that has arisen is completely resolved if the practice of meditation-introspection is combined with direct volitional effort aimed at getting rid of unwanted forms of behavior. Energy meditative practice, even diagnostically targeted, is not enough. The fact is that the blocked zone always corresponds to a certain developed need: there is a long-term habitual way of behavior that satisfies this desire and at the same time strengthens the habit. A rut develops, from which it is very difficult to get out.

Each time behavior is repeated and satisfies a desire, the corresponding psychoenergetic blockage located at the level of the causal body is simultaneously reinforced. If our consciousness is not able to penetrate to this level and carry out the necessary cleansing, then we can influence this blockage by changing our behavior, we can drop a bad habit by resorting to direct volitional effort. This immediately leads to the desired cleansing at the level of the causal body. The destruction of the deep psychoenergetic “thrombus” begins, and the corresponding “dirt” is thrown into the circulation of the energy system, and the sphere of consciousness is filled with negative emotions and painful experiences (like a drug addict during forced abstinence). This, of course, is difficult, unpleasant, painful, but there is material available to our consciousness for cleaning through energy meditative practice. Indeed, as long as the desire is regularly satisfied, for example, while a person smokes, the corresponding psychoenergetic blockage sleeps peacefully, well-fed and contented, in its deep hole, located at the level of the subtle-material causal body. Here, no matter how much you meditate, you won’t be able to get it. No amount of awareness will help here. But when we stop satisfying this need (for example, a person stops smoking) - only now can he begin energy-meditative cleansing of this area.

In the book "Conversations with Pavitra", a student asks Sri Aurobindo (who by that time was already a famous teacher, the founder of Integral Yoga) regarding smoking, to which Aurobindo replies that he himself smokes. And this is a master of mindfulness meditation! Could there be a more striking example of the fact that awareness is not omnipotent and that on the path of spiritual development you simply cannot do without direct volitional effort, without intentional self-coercion?

As the great teacher Ramana Maharishi said: “As long as the ego exists, effort must exist. When the ego ceases to exist, all actions become spontaneous.” .

What kind of effortlessness is Rajneesh talking about? Even the practice of mindfulness meditation requires a lot of persistence and willpower. Ramana Maharishi said:

"No one achieves success without effort. Mind control is not something you are born with; it takes effort to achieve it, and the few who succeed owe it to their persistence." .

Rajneesh suggests cultivating “honest self-expression,” but is the wrong person capable of right behavior?

Thus, both extremes should be rejected: asceticism that neglects meditation, and meditation that rejects asceticism.

The best path harmoniously combines energy-meditative practice and willpower used for self-change. Both one and the other are necessary. The question can only arise regarding their reasonable interconnection.

Just as walking requires both legs, just as flying requires two wings, so moving along the path to enlightenment requires a harmonious combination of willpower and energy-meditative practice.

When I talk here about the desirability and usefulness of volitional effort, I mean its focus on a specific change in behavior, but not on an attempt to change one’s character and personal qualities by order. You can stop eating meat by force of will, but you cannot oblige yourself to be kind, modest and full of love for others. For example, Doasism and Chan Buddhism put forward simplicity, naturalness, and sincerity as the highest ideals. However, the more I try to be sincere and act natural, the more false and mannered my behavior will be. The falsehood lies in the fact that, instead of being himself in a natural and unostentatious way, a person strives to bring himself into conformity with a certain ideal image. It doesn’t matter what kind of image it is - a “tough guy” or a humble and loving Christian, or a wise mentor, or an image of an aristocrat with a noble mind and refined manners. In all cases, imitation takes place.

Here is a Ch'an parable:

"Zhao-zhou asked Nan-quan:

– What is Tao?

Nanquan replied:

“Ordinary consciousness is Tao.”.

(He did not say that Tao is the path of following naturalness, simplicity, the path of calm, etc. He did not list the signs of the desired state. Instead, he pointed out the need to maintain awareness in everyday life.)

"Zhao-zhou then asked:

– Is it possible to learn it?

Nanquan replied:

“If you strive for him, you will move away from him.”.

Naturalness is incompatible with intentionality. Is it possible to intentionally be natural? But this is exactly what Rajneesh proposes, demanding “honest self-expression” from his followers. Simplicity and naturalness are generated by a state of mental silence, come through the practice of meditation-awareness, come when we don’t think about them, when we don’t strive to be sincere, loving, calm, etc., but only care about not allowing improper functioning of your consciousness.

The combination of volitional self-constraint and meditative practice is absolutely necessary in order to remove everything unnecessary from your life, everything that takes away our strength, our vital energy and clouds our consciousness. One of don Juan's great commandments is: "Throw away everything that is not absolutely necessary!"

There is a Sufi parable:

Wanderer.

A wanderer was walking along an endlessly long road, lost in the mountains far on the horizon. He was loaded with all kinds of belongings, which, in the absence of a donkey, he had to drag on himself. On his back was a heavy bag of sand, and around his waist was a wineskin filled with stale water. In each hand he held a huge boulder. On the sufferer's neck, on a frayed rope, hung an old millstone. A rusty chain was attached to the ankle of his right leg, on which, following him, a heavy cannonball was dragged along the sand. In addition to everything, the unfortunate traveler, balancing with difficulty, carries an old, half-rotten pumpkin on his head.

With every step he takes, a synchronized rattling of chains is heard; sweating, groaning and groaning, unable to see anything around him, the wanderer moves forward step by step, cursing his unfortunate fate and complaining about universal injustice.

At noon he met a peasant who said to him:

- O traveler! I see you are very tired. Why are you carrying these heavy stones in your hands? What's the point of this? If you wish, you can find such stones anywhere.

“Really,” answered the wanderer, “it’s really terribly stupid to drag these stupid cobblestones, how come I haven’t seen this before!”

With these words he threw away the cobblestones and immediately felt better. After some time, he again met a man on the road who asked him:

“Tell me, dear, why do you bother carrying an old, half-rotten pumpkin, and is it really necessary for you to drag this heavy core?”

– And in fact, I didn’t even notice that the pumpkin was already old and rotten. As for the core, I was chained a long time ago, and I was already so used to it that only now I noticed that I was still dragging it along with me. How stupid of me! - said the wanderer and, with these words, threw off the chain with the cannonball, and threw the old pumpkin into a roadside ditch. And immediately he felt incomparably better and began to move forward much faster.

A peasant walking from his field in the evening looked at him in amazement and said:

- Oh, good man! You are carrying heavy sand in your bag, but look: around you along the road there is more sand than you will ever need, much more than you can carry! And your big waterskin - you stocked up as if you were about to cross the Great Desert! Look, very close to the road, a clean stream with fresh water flows all the way!

Hearing these words, the wanderer tore off the wineskin and poured warm brown water from it, with which he quenched his thirst during the journey, right onto the road; He took the heavy bag off his tired shoulders and poured sand out of it. He stood thoughtfully on the path and looked at the setting sun. The last rays illuminated him. He looked carefully at himself, saw the heavy millstone hanging around his neck, and for the first time realized that it was because of it that he had to lean forward so much. The traveler took off the millstone and threw it as far as possible into the river.

Straightening up and straightening his shoulders, he walked easily and freely in the cool and mysterious evening, from time to time glancing at the starry sky, which he had not seen for many years, he walked, humming to himself something beautiful and long forgotten, and walked towards new meetings.

So, discard everything that is not absolutely necessary. However, is this possible? Immediately, overnight, throwing out everything unnecessary from your life is unrealistic for the vast majority of people. But not impossible.
Don Juan said, with great force, that a person can give up anything he wants, and I think he is right. However, for this he must be a very complete person. Usually people either don’t really want this, despite all their declarative statements, or they simply don’t believe in themselves, don’t believe that this is possible. So an ordinary person rarely manages to immediately make a complete, total renewal of his entire life, unless due to some exceptional circumstances. But outside of such special (and very rare, at the same time) circumstances, a complete one-time change in a person’s personality and life (and these are interconnected things) is equally impossible and undesirable. Therefore, being a realist, I believe that you need to make a list of everything that interferes and establish a priority for gradually eliminating negative things from your life.

Eliminating each such “loose end” means blocking some accumulated need, a long-term habit. In this case, an extremely unpleasant state of frustration arises and an influx of negative emotions inevitably arises. There is a disturbance in emotional balance and a shift in the emotional balance towards the predominance of negative emotions. As a result, forces are awakened that oppose the decision made and strive to return behavior to its previous course. These forces are greater, the more severe the state of frustration, the greater the influx of negative emotions. That’s why you can’t change everything at once - such darkness will come, such death, such severe psychosomatic “withdrawal” that the person will not be able to stand it and will break down. For many, this is exactly what happens: repeated attempts to start a “new and bright life” end in a breakdown in binge drinking. What is the psychological mechanism of binge drinking? A breakdown in binge occurs when the will cannot withstand the burden of negative emotions. When the emotional balance is disturbed, when the intensity of negative emotions goes beyond a certain threshold value, according to the law of emotional homeostasis, forces are activated that sweep away the voice of reason, moral attitudes that break the will into splinters.
And then the person indiscriminately grasps at any means of eliminating the emotional deficit. Now any means are suitable for him: alcohol, indiscriminate sex, gluttony, consumption of entertainment information in pathological quantities (television, reading matter, etc.) as a form of escape from oneself, from meeting an unpleasant reality. Anything to immediately, immediately get positive emotions. Then, at the end of the spree, a person looks back with horror and sees the complete collapse of his own good intentions, his own such wonderful and sublime plans. As A.S. wrote Pushkin, “and reading my life with disgust...”. At the same time, seeing his complete failure, a person experiences acute dissatisfaction with himself, despises himself and develops an inferiority complex, the main components of which are a feeling of guilt and pathologically low self-esteem. And, I must say, he is wrong here. In fact, what looks like a catastrophe, a “fall” for him, is objectively positive. A safety mechanism was activated - like a safety valve in a steam boiler, designed to release excess steam to avoid an explosion. In the case of a person who makes unbearable and inadequate demands on himself, the matter may end in a psychosomatic analogue of a steam boiler explosion - a serious somatic illness or ending up in a psychiatric hospital. Such a person’s energy and psyche are not ready to let through the volume of energy and informational “dirt” that is thrown into them with such a drastic change in lifestyle. The new mode of existence turns out to be unsustainable and too dangerous. And it’s very good that the safety mechanism of emotional homeostasis worked. Thus, if a person has lost his temper, it is wrong to engage in self-criticism and self-flagellation. It is very stupid to blame yourself for something that is beyond your capabilities. A standard mistake of people striving for self-improvement is the presentation of inadequate and excessive demands on themselves, the categorical motto “all or nothing!”, which clearly betrays personal immaturity.

"Or will I be a colonel in gold-embroidered trousers,

Or I'll be dead under the fence covered in burdocks."

So, under no circumstances should you rush headlong into absolute holiness, complete impeccability, trying to suddenly turn your whole life around. What we so frivolously try to conquer is actually a huge boulder of terrifying size, from which we bounce like a ping-pong ball.

You cannot build a house without laying a strong and reliable foundation. The foundation on which the entire Path of self-improvement is built is high energy content combined with emotional well-being. If a person does not have personal strength, does not have the vital energy necessary for his development, then what kind of movement along the Path of self-improvement can we even talk about? One Chinese martial artist said it very well: "If you don't have chi, then you are nothing" . Even the most wonderful car, a miracle of engineering, without gasoline is just a pile of scrap metal. No matter how gifted and talented a person is, without proper energy supply he will remain a failure, unable to realize any of his wonderful plans.

Emotional well-being (by the way, always associated with energy saturation) is also absolutely necessary for someone who has taken the Path of spiritual development. A sufficient supply of positive emotions allows you to absorb and go through the period of abstinence “withdrawal” without breakdowns. We are talking not only about people with alcohol, nicotine and drug addiction. Any change in behavior for the better, any attempt to get rid of one’s personality defects always leads to a strong influx of negative emotions, as I already said. Therefore, to move along the Path of self-improvement, an emotional resource is so important and necessary, without which a person simply cannot withstand the psychosomatic consequences of a radical change in his life behavior. If a person is unhappy, then a direct volitional change in himself, his habits and his behavior is simply impossible.

This is why the Tibetan Buddhist master Atisha, in one of his famous Seven Sutras, says: "Lean on Joy" . That is why I am convinced that the most important and fundamental condition for successful progress along the Path of self-improvement is daily energy meditative practice, without which no progress is possible. It is this practice that gives us the necessary emotional, energetic and informational resources. Only on the basis of such a resource is self-transformation possible; without it, all attempts to change oneself for the better through direct volitional effort are doomed to failure.

It should be remembered that energy meditative practice, in itself, already requires significant volitional efforts, especially at first. It's not so easy to accustom yourself to regular daily exercise. At the first stage of working on yourself, it is quite enough to set yourself the task of forming the habit of daily regular energy meditative practice. Regularity is more important here than the volume of classes. It will take at least six months to solve this problem. And only after developing a stable habit, when the practice becomes completely natural and no longer requires volitional efforts, only then can you take the next step. It must be said that the practice of qigong and meditation by itself, without special intentional volitional efforts, can change a person in the most unpredictable ways. His social circle is being renewed - some people fall out of it, and others appear in their place. The whole lifestyle changes, new interests appear. This even applies to food preferences, to the perception of alcohol and nicotine (for example, a smoking person may suddenly develop an aversion to nicotine), etc., etc. With the right methodology of energy meditative practice, without a doubt, these changes will be be of an exclusively beneficial nature, which, by the way, will immediately be felt by the people around him, friends, work colleagues and, of course, first of all, members of his family.

So, the first stage (forming the habit of daily regular exercise) has been successfully completed. What's next? Next, you need to subject yourself to analysis and identify your main weakness - to identify what most wastes your energy and litters your psyche. It is important not to limit yourself to self-analysis, but also to consult with loved ones. Consultation with an experienced and competent mentor will be especially valuable and especially important. Ultimately, from the many shortcomings and weaknesses that each of us has (as Buddhists say, “there is no cold place in a boiling pot”), you will need to choose your most important internal enemy. What could it be? Everyone has their own. As I like to tell my students: “We are all alcoholics, but each has his own vodka.”

I would like to note right away that the final result of this analytical work does not need to be formulated as some kind of desirable personal property. It needs to be formulated precisely as a specific requirement for changing one’s behavior. The list of possible options is far from limitless. We are not as unique as we think. A standard set of human weaknesses and vices, with relatively minor variations, existed at all times and among all peoples. Here are the most common in our society and in our time: alcoholism, drug addiction, smoking, gluttony (who doesn’t like it, let’s replace the delicate word overeating), sexual promiscuity and sexual perversions, greed and stinginess, information gluttony (computer games, entertaining reading, TV) , gambling, laziness and lack of will, etc., etc.

Further, at the second stage, continuing your energy meditative practice, you should seriously engage in eradicating the identified shortcoming by making a volitional decision and planning work on yourself in this direction (keeping a self-control diary, mentally playing out critical situations with a different, new behavioral outcome, declaring your intention morning and evening in the style of Carlos Castaneda, etc., etc.). Here, to change our behavior, we use both volitional resources and all sorts of behaviorist tricks.

This will be a difficult period. Changing this aspect of one’s behavior leads to blocking the corresponding need and the release of energy-informational “dirt” into the energy system and into the psyche. The inevitable result is poor health and an influx of negative emotions. That is why during such a period of “cleansing” it is important to continue regular energy meditative practices and even strengthen them by increasing the volume of morning and evening sessions.

It takes quite a long time for the processes of psychoenergetic “cleaning” to completely fade out, for the restructuring in the energy system and in the psyche to be completely completed. Before deciding to take the next step in the arduous process of self-improvement, it is necessary to strengthen yourself in a positive change in your behavior and restore a positive emotional balance, which will require 6 to 12 months of uncompromising adherence to a new course of behavior. Only after this can you again select the next weak link in behavior and take the next step. As Carlos Castaneda writes:

"...all that is needed is impeccable energy, and this begins with one action that must be intentional, precise and sustained. If this action is repeated long enough, you gain a sense of unbending intention that can be applied to something else. When "This is accomplished - the path is clear. One thing leads to another until the warrior realizes all his capabilities." .

If perfection is achieved in relation to one thing (say, mandatory daily implementation of energy meditative practice has been implemented), then this will certainly affect everything else. In other words, local impeccability leads to an increase in the overall level of impeccability throughout the entire existential space.

In my book I often use the term self improvement . In some people it evokes an ironic and mocking attitude (the image of a Russian intellectual pops up, beating his fist on his sunken chest and emotionally exclaiming: “I’m disgusting, I’m disgusting, but I’m improving!”).

Others do not like it for ideological reasons: they say that the motivation for self-improvement is primitive and erroneous, the true motivation, in their opinion, is the desire to know the Truth.

Another variant of a critically negative attitude towards this term is that it equates self-improvement with the acquisition of paranormal abilities, when the practice turns into a way of self-affirmation, when it is motivated by the desire to become better, stronger, smarter and more spiritual than everyone else in the world.