The binary opposition "good / evil" in Russian linguistic consciousness

in the context of ethical philosophy and linguacultural studies, the categories of good and evil represent fundamental binary oppositions that permeate the entire history of human society. In the linguistic picture of the world, these concepts are interpreted as a dichotomy of positive and negative principles, which indicates their universality and deep rootedness in the collective consciousness. Despite the transformation of social, cultural and religious paradigms, the significance of these categories has not only not diminished, but has also acquired particular relevance in the context of the formation and maintenance of the moral identity of the individual and society as a whole. Good and evil act as fundamental principles that structure the system of moral norms and rules that determine behavioral patterns and social interactions. These categories not only characterize the moral qualities of the individual, such as empathy, responsibility, honesty and fairness, but also regulate interpersonal relationships that arise in the process of joint activities. The article uses the associative experiment to substantiate the validity of the structural-functional model of psycholinguistic mechanisms of association formation, as well as the corresponding types of associative fields. The conducted associative experiment confirmed that the ethical categories of good and evil are an integral part of the linguistic picture of the world. This conclusion is based on the fundamental principles of cognitive linguistics, which postulate an inseparable connection between language and cognitive processes, including the formation of ethical ideas. The results of the study demonstrate that these categories are not only present in the consciousness of native speakers, but also play a key role in structuring their worldview.

free association experiment, good, evil, associative field, ethical categories