When we hear the word "good", the imagination immediately begins to draw something warm, light and fluffy. However, not everyone is able to say exactly what it means. Subconsciously, we understand that this is something good, but the definition of the word “good” is always left without attention. So let's try to fix this situation.
The concept of the word "good"
The word itself is interpreted by different dictionaries. In particular, this concept is available in the explanatory dictionaries of Ozhegov and Dahl.
"Good" definition according to Ozhegov has the following:
Good means something positive and useful. A process, action, or word that can be opposed to evil. Goods are also called property, valuable things. In some cases, good means consent. For example, to give approval to something, that is, to allow a certain action
In Kuznetsov's explanatory dictionary there is also an answer to the question of what is good. The definition is:
Good is actions that are aimed at the good. That is, everything that brings good and does not cause harm can be called good
Dal's dictionary also contains the word "good". The definition hasnext look:
In the spiritual sense, good can be defined as good. This, in turn, means something useful and honest, which is required by human duty
From the pages of philosophy
It is worth noting that such concepts as good and evil are in the field of philosophy and ethics. Therefore, to the question "What is good?" a definition from philosophy would answer best. In the broadest sense, good as good means:
- Value understanding that expresses the positive meaning of something in relation to standard norms.
- A standard that meets society's norms, expectations and needs.
The very word "good" in the process of human development did not lose its true meaning, but was sometimes used in different dialects, denoting material we alth or freedom of action.
Ethics
Being the subject of research in ethical disciplines, the word has another definition:
Goodness is a category of ethical research that positively evaluates a behavior, phenomenon or event. This is good: moral, correct, affirmative, which has a positive beginning. It opposes "evil", something destructive and negative
It is natural for human nature to desire goodness and beauty. Every person keenly feels the need for something good that can bring him happiness. To wish for something good is not a hypothetical phenomenon, but an innate need of human nature, which isconstant and stable.
The word "good", as defined above, is not the final point of the study. Good, as a special element, is present in different spheres of human life, acquiring a slightly different meaning.
Varieties of "goodness"
Depending on the state in which a person is at a certain moment, what he lacks can be considered a blessing. For example:
- He alth. Sometimes the word "good" is defined by the situation in which a person is. For example, if he is sick, then good means he alth. But when the disease recedes, then the concept of he alth from the category of "higher good" turns into a self-evident phenomenon.
- We alth and honor. How good material goods are desired by many, and only having acquired them, people understand that financial opportunities do not fully correspond to the highest human needs.
- Power and recognition. Having risen on the wheel of Fortune above the ordinary and descended to the starting point, a person understands that power is a fleeting phenomenon, the light of a star that will sooner or later go out. Having no power, a person craves it, but having achieved what he wants and having lost, he understands that such phenomena are not good.
- Knowledge. Having deep knowledge in a certain area, a person cannot consider them a common good, because these are nothing more than intellectual goods. Spiritual needs in this case remain unsatisfied.
- Friendship. The sublime form of friendship beyond allno doubt touches the deepest areas of human life, yet intellectual and other needs remain unaddressed.
There are many such examples. It is human nature to take for "good" what he lacks. However, this approach reveals the word rather one-sidedly.
From Good to Kindness
Thus, good can mean everything good, valuable and moral that satisfies all aspects of human life. It would be logical to assume that the question will arise, good - what is it?
The word "kind" has a definition similar to the word "good":
Bringing good, benefit, joy and prosperity to others. Good people can also be those who gratuitously respond to the needs of the world around them, and actions that bring moral satisfaction to both parties
Summing up, we can say the following: kindness is the highest form of perception of the world and the creation of the environment. Desires that satisfy all human needs without harming others. Actions, words and thoughts that benefit the social environment and their “creator” are considered to be good, and goodness itself is an innate need that all living things strive for.
