Justification of Good: Versions in Culture

Reflections on good and evil are a part of meaning-life problems. Good is considered as a value that overcomes alienation between people. The article discusses three versions in understanding the good and its nature: the theory of rational egoism, I. Kant’s doctrine of moral duty and Vl. Solovyov’s altruistic concept. The good for rational egoists acts as a means of payment when it is assumed that it will be returned. The good is useful because it ultimately works for the interests of the subject. The good in Kant’s doctrine is presented as free action in accordance with inner duty, the categorical imperative. According to Vl. Solovyov, man is good by nature by virtue of elementary moral feelings of shame, pity and reverence. Different statuses of a person, the possibility of being free and happy in these versions are considered. In the context of theoretical analysis, a corresponding survey was conducted in order to identify the attractiveness for ordinary consciousness of one or another version of understanding the nature of goodness.