The problem of the origin of morality and the motivation of moral action: past and present

The article is devoted to the analysis of modern theories about the motivation of a moral deed. Naturally, this motivation is associated with ideas about the origin of morality. A brief excursion into the history of the issue and the methodology of its consideration by Orthodox moralists of the late 19th-early 20th centuries is offered. Particular attention is paid to the criticism of consequentialism, a theory that was especially popular in the middle of the 20th century, which proposed evaluating moral motivation in relation to the immediate goal and from the point of view of the expected result. It also points to recent attempts to return to Aristotle’s theory of a virtuous act from the point of view of honest prudence. The author concludes that only Christian discourse allows discussing the issue on the general field, and only Christ, as the embodied Love of God, provides a true foundation for moral life and the motivation for moral deeds.