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AUTONOMOUS AND HETERONOMOUS MORALITY IN SOCIAL ACTING

J. Feber

Abstract

This article aims to call attention to the dangers of the heteronomous concept of morality in a situation of growing institutionalization of human activities, and justify the need for the autonomous concept of morality. Morality is defined as an important form of social discipline, without which no society can do. The heteronomous conception of morality represents the basis for the utilitarian approach to ethics. The article promotes the idea of necessary connection with the utilitarian approach to ethics and deontological ethics. Methodologically, the article follows the rationalist approach to ethics in its classic form, expressed in Immanuel Kant's philosophy. In the present-day society, various professional activities are of an institutional nature. An important characteristic of a social institution is its ethos, i.e. the summary of specified standards and values that the workers participating in the activities of the institution must obey. It leads to the institutionalization of moral decision-making, when performance of professional duties may results in amoral conduct that is contrary to the universal moral values. The article advocated that heteronomous morality of a partial institution should not exceed the scope of universal autonomous morality, which regulates the society as a whole. Autonomous morality generally sets minimum mandatory ethics, while heteronymous morality ensures the efficiency and effectiveness of relative professional activities. The article proposes a method of linking utilitarianism and deontology: the ethics of utilitarianism, which is still applicable in specialized areas of human activity, is complemented with deontological ethics, which sets the universally valid ethical code. The analysis of the above-mentioned ethical approaches will result in the elaboration of the concept of a “good society”, which is a result of their interconnection. A good society is one that not only fulfils its purpose (the utilitarian aspect of heteronomous morality), but also adheres to universal moral values (the deontological perspective of autonomous morality). The conceptualization of a “good society” is the justification of the normative nature of the methodological foundations of social philosophy.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgemsocial2015/b31/s11.068

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