Categorical imperative as the principle of academic ethics and consumer society

The main ethical principle of contemporary society is based on the theories of utilitarianism and humanism. Utilitarianism includes the attempt to react to the phenomenon of the fast economic development of the society based on the technological progress. Utility became not only the main criterion of human activity but also the well-being of the society, that is why the philosophers researched the interface between this indicator and goodness as the basic category of ethics. Utilitarianism states that the best action of human being is the one which maximizes utility. The definition of “utility” was understood as the sum of pleasure of human action. I. Kant’s categorical imperative as an inborn ethical principal became the basics of the alternative utilitarianism and humanism. Consumerism, as an economic principal of contemporary society, approaches utility as an indicator of economic benefit, and this approach simplified the essential idea of utilitarianism, therefore the essence of ethics, as an indicator of human happiness, was forgotten. Simplified utility became the basic index of morality, as well as a human being – a very provisory standard of economic, political and other activities. The establishment of consumer approach made intellectual society come back to the essence of humanistic ethics, that is why categorical imperative not accidentally became the basic ethical principle of the 20th century adopted by both, modern society and academic community. Therefore, in the beginning of the 21st century it became obvious that the consumerism was entrenching the academic community. The economic benefit became the main indicator of the higher education, and this demoted the academic principles and ideals. The essential dilemma of contemporary academic ethics is the choice between the categorical imperative and economic benefit, and it is becoming the problem of both, academic community and contemporary society, as well as, the basic choice on which the further development of higher education and society depends. Categorical Imperative is a moral principle, oriented to the human as a value concept, and, perhaps, the only ideal for the academic community in contemporary society