Moral and ethical principles as an object of pedagogical reflection

The paper grounds that moral and ethical principles guide the teacher to seek the meaning of life together with the students which explains to them the relations with the world, provides insight into the teacher’s and students’ world, exists in their mind as a world image and regulates their mutual activity in accordance with the logics of life necessity, i.e. Peace on the Earth. The author explains that the true morality considers a person and his/her life the most important moral values, which formulate moral and ethical principles, prescribing development of moral life strategy. The paper proves that person’s morality, his/her doings, outlook, evaluation, goals and motifs of activity and relations with people and the world depend on correct understanding of values. The author explains the categories «virtue», «good», in terms of which moral and ethical principles are formulated. The paper gives the meaning of the categories «virtue» and «good» and explains why one cannot teach virtue, that virtues are not inherent that is why they are nurtured. The author shows moral and ethical knowledge is necessary for a person to become virtuous and points out the importance of differentiation between life as it is and good life. The paper grounds that moral and ethical principles provide a teacher with an initial axiom (what for?) – for achieving the goal – Peace on the Earth, the strategy of moving along the way chosen (what way?) – making good for him/herself and for the students.