Berezina T.N. Criteria of the Good in Ordinary Representations of Students

Abstract: The article is devoted to the category of the good in psychology and humanities. In her research Berezina states that this is a rather understudied topic compared to the category of the evil and explains that this is because the good is a complex phenomenon. It is assumed that in human mind the category of the good can exist in the form of a nonverbal image of the highest order constituting the 'over consciousness'. Intellect and a number of other phenomena are likewise represented in human mind. The methodology that is used to study complex mental phenomena is based on the concept of social (ordinary) representations. The purpose of the article is to analyze students' ordinary representations of the good man as well as to define criteria that are used by the respondents to develop a positive judgement of other people. As a result, Berezina defines the following four criteria. 'Good activity' is the commission of a good act towards someone who makes a judgement. 'Good fellowship' is an indirect citerion when someone is thought to be a good and kind person based on his/her behavior towards the third persons. 'Good nature' is a personal criterion when someone is thought to be kind judging from his/her positive qualities such as empathy and compassion rather than his/her behavior. 'Good conscience' is when someone is considered to be a kind person because he or she has a sense of conscience and regrets committing negative actions. 

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