The Transcendent Mental Background of Norms

Abstract

Thinking is a prerequisite of creating norms, therefore norms require a mental background. Thus the prerequisite of an existing norm is the common thought which is essential for the cohesion of all human communities. At the same time, the act of thinking evokes fundamental questions about the origin and the meaning of life. When we are thinking about these questions we necessarily reach the absolute; which is the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beyond nature. Since human thinking does not find the absolute in the surrounding world, but beyond, this direction of thinking can be considered transcendental. This direction is innate in human thinking regardless of religion and world view. Consequently, transcendent orientation is present in human  language from the range of meaning of the words to the formation of more complex expressions. Since norms are linguistic notions too they incorporate the linguistic characteristics of thinking and therefore the transcendent orientation. The religious norm is clearly based on the transcendent orientation of thinking but the moral norm also has a transcendent orientation.
This publication is closely related to my previous article titled ‘Secularization of the legal norm’ in which I presented the transcendent mental origin of norms by the example of Roman legal history.