Ethics as a Product of Civilization and a Core of Science and Social Progress: Lessons of the Past and Problems of the Presentinar

Abstract

The level of well-being in a society depends on the strict observance of ethical norms of behavior by economic entities, which are established to a certain extent chaotically, in the process of social practice. In this connection, the problem of targeted socio-economic reforming, which leads to a change in the ethical core of society, is becoming more and more important. The purpose of the article is to generalize scientific ideas about ethics as a set of social tools that influence human behavior in the society. Its understanding will contribute to increasing the effectiveness of social and economic management, especially in the conditions of natural disasters and social conflicts. An important tool of this management is the rational involvement of the research system. The methodical framework for the research is the problem-oriented technique for comparison the indicators of the civilizational process, giving evidence of social perceptions of ethical principles in different historical periods. The literary sources used by the author are based on sociological studies of the implementation of the principles of the increasing social welfare. Official sources that record the modern understanding of ethical principles in various layers of society are taken into account. The ethical paradigm in each evolutionary period is formed on the assumption that the main indicators of the civilizational process are constant, and on the belief that the accepted ethical principles should ensure an increase in the social welfare. Special attention should be devoted to economic tools for adjusting the ethical space of teams employed in transactional systems. In contrast to countries with a relatively stable economy, in countries with a transition economy, to which Ukraine belongs, it is possible to ascertain the presence of a number of problems in the ethical infrastructure of the “triple spiral”, i. e. in political and administrative relations of business, science and state power. Basically, ethics determines the social organization, but there is a semantic difference between the authoritarian and humanistic understanding of the morality, which is reflected in the legislative and regulatory framework of many countries, including Ukraine. The more meaningful use of science as a management tool can enhance the state power’s capacities in for socio-economic management in the conditions of instability and conflicts.