Natural Morality, or Altruism, - an Innamed Instinct of Humanity (Empirical Ethics of P.A. Kropotkin)

The universal world law of organic evolution according to Kropotkin: mutual aid - justice - morality. Based on the theory of evolution of C. Darwin, P.A. Kropotkin puts forward the idea that in nature, in addition to the law of mutual struggle, there is a law of mutual aid, and it is this that promotes intraspecific survival, and this means that altruistic feelings are innate in all living beings. The article is devoted to the topic of natural human morality in Kropotkin’s empirical ethics. The relevance of the research problem is directly related to the search for the foundations of successful interaction within society, and if altruism is an innate human feeling, then the cultivation of this instinct can become a support in solving such a complex problem. The main premise was that education plays a decisive role in the formation of altruistic behavior, and although there are disagreements on this issue, a number of authors have given due credit to the influence of social morality on the development of altruistic inclinations in humans. Kropotkin’s concept of natural morality, despite its controversial aspects, offers a powerful empirical basis for ethics, an alternative to religious and Comtean models. Kropotkin’s concept of natural morality, despite its controversial aspects, offers a powerful empirical basis for ethics, an alternative to religious and Comtean models. Modern science partially confirms his ideas, but also asks new questions, for example, if biological laws are universal, what influence do cultural traditions have on the formation of an altruistic society? Further research could integrate his approach with theories of cultural evolution.