This is how modern American economist Ben Bernanke explains what debt is: “This is the obligation of the borrower to return borrowed funds, shares or other valuables. At the same time, this word also refers to the valuables themselves that are subject to return.” Moreover, it is often necessary to return not only the amount taken from the lender, but also the remuneration on the terms of payment of which the loan was made. In essence, borrowing money allows a person or organization to do something that would be impossible under other circumstances: acquire movable or immovable property, start a business, hold a large-scale event.

Debt to the bank

The most typical debt to a bank is undisputed. It is called that because the loan agreement on the basis of which the funds were issued has a 100% chance of being recognized in court. According to statistics, more than 50% of all debts of individuals are indisputable - that is, they do not give rise to doubt.

If the debt, on the contrary, is controversial, this always means a theoretical possibility of challenging it in court. However, both the lender and the borrower himself, as a rule, try to settle the case without bringing it to court, since this option is too troublesome and time-consuming.

State debt

The debt of the central government of the country is the national debt. Its size can be expressed both in the currency of the creditor country and in the currency of the borrower country.

The United States interprets this concept much more broadly: in this country, federal, regional, municipal, and even local debt of any self-government bodies can be called “state.”

Here are examples of monetary sovereign countries that independently regulate the issue of their currencies: Russia, Great Britain, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan. Countries that use “foreign” currencies over which they do not have sovereignty are Italy, France, Greece.

Debt collection

What do creditors do if an indisputable (that is, not requiring proof) debt is not repaid? Contrary to popular myth, not all such cases are immediately transferred to collection agencies so that they can collect debts. According to Russian statistics for 2010-2015, cases are referred to collectors only in 15-20% of cases. If it is obvious that the borrower is not paying due to temporary financial difficulties, the bank will be inclined to extend the period allocated for repayment of the debt. In legal language, this is called debt restructuring.

Debt term

Sometimes the bank makes a demand to its borrower to repay the loan, although the contract has already expired. Does the creditor bank have the right to do this?

By law, there is a period during which the bank has the right to file a lawsuit to recover the debt. This is 3 years from the date of the bank’s last contact with the debtor who stopped making payments. What is considered contact between the creditor and the debtor? This is a telephone conversation with a bank consultant, or the borrower’s signature on a form indicating receipt of a letter from the bank.

If there have been no such contacts with the debtor for 3 years, the debt period is considered expired and the debt is canceled (unless otherwise specified in the contract).

Loan debts

Recently, the Vedomosti newspaper published stunning data: the total amount of overdue debt to banks in Russia reached 1 trillion rubles. More than 5 million residents of our country do not fulfill their loan obligations. Moreover, a quarter of them have not one, but two or three outstanding. This includes all kinds of debts on loans: for “secondary” housing, apartments in new buildings, etc. In this regard, experienced economists urge us to learn from the bitter example of our fellow citizens, trying not to take on debt obligations - after all, no one can say for sure that tomorrow he will still have the same stable job and the same good health to do it.

Private debt

It happens that in addition to credit institutions and banks, individuals are also ready to lend money. These people, who have large sums of money, are often former bank employees. They are well acquainted with the interest calculation system and are ready to issue a loan under certain conditions. In this case, both the borrowed funds and the interest on them will all be called “private debt.” After reaching a verbal agreement, such a loan is notarized.

This is convenient, but professionals do not advise trusting the first announcement about such loans. Under no circumstances should you trust a person who demands an advance payment for a future loan.

Debt agreement

The agreement between the lender and the borrower must be officially certified. Russian lawyers advise: before concluding a debt agreement, carefully review each clause. The borrower should be wary of the following facts:

• If the conditions for issuing a loan specified in the agreement differ from those mentioned during the oral consultation (even if at first glance this discrepancy is very small).
• If the agreement contains notes in small print that is difficult to read.
• If the document imposes on the borrower any additional obligations that were not discussed in the loan program.

Debt percentage

Oddly enough, the highest percentage of debt is accrued not for large loans, but for microloans. That is, when borrowing money “before payday”. This is explained simply: microfinance organizations issue funds according to simplified schemes, without thoroughly checking the borrower’s credit history. This means they take more risks than large banks and must cover in advance those debts that may remain unpaid. As a result, it turns out that borrowing money from such a company is as easy as shelling pears, but paying it back may not be so easy. That’s why financiers advise again and again: try to get by with your own funds, without putting yourself in financial dependence.

Debt is a concept familiar to every person. Monetary, government, parental, labor obligations and many others occur in rumors and in reality every day. Borrowing does not always mean monetary bondage. The term combines duties, obligations, promises and legal requirements. This is a brief explanation of what debt is. Additionally, it is important to understand the meaning of this word and determine the main types of debt.

Characteristic

The history of debt dates back to ancient times. Each person was assigned certain responsibilities: providing firewood for the community, obtaining food, hunting, and fishing. With the development of civilization, the number of duties increased significantly, and many varieties appeared. The etymology of the word “debt” allows us to obtain various interpretations and definitions. According to A.V. Semenov’s dictionary, the term is of Slavic origin.

For example, under serfdom, a peasant belonged to a merchant, a master, and was obliged to work and pay quitrent. From the moment of the formation of the troops, the army, every man bore the military duty to serve his homeland and stand up for its defense.

A detailed definition and interpretation of the word “debt” can be found in the dictionaries of Dahl, Ushakov, Ozhegov. The generally accepted meaning of debt is the amount of valuables transferred for temporary disposal and management to another person free of charge or for a fee. The subject of the agreement may be values, property, intellectual rights, and moral obligations.

The figurative meaning is specific obligations that arise from an individual of his own free will or on the basis of the Constitution and federal legislation. For example, a citizen assumes, on his own initiative, parental, marital, and labor duties.

The obligation to pay taxes, serve the homeland, and participate in the elections of the head of state are classified as national debt and do not imply evasion. Famous philosophers Aristotle and Kant wrote about the idea of ​​spiritual obligation, admiration for the truth. In this situation, we are also not talking about financial obligations, but about the moral values ​​of each person, his honor and conscience.

Debt can be in relation to money or other items or obligations

Features of monetary debt

If we talk about financial debts, then a transaction means attracting third-party resources to improve living conditions (buying a home, car, furniture, training) or expanding a business. The debtor can be an individual or legal entity. You can get a loan from an ordinary citizen, a bank, the state, or an employer.

Since historical times, people began to understand that providing money or property to another person for temporary use can bring good profits. But in any situation, the lender is not insured against the risk of client insolvency. There is a high probability that the debtor will disappear and go bankrupt.

Therefore, the concept of promissory note and collateral was born. The written form is an argument that allows you to restore rights with the help of executive authorities, and the collateral will be seized in payment of the outstanding arrears.

The essence of debt relations

Explanatory dictionaries define the essence of duty in the fact that a person has obligations to another person, God, and the state. Moral obligations are formed in people under the influence of society. In life, a person compares values, his capabilities and independently determines the permissible limits of imperative obligations (morality, ethics).

A person assumes state duties after receiving citizenship. That is, becoming a part of the country, a person must strictly follow its laws, replenish the budget, fulfill military and tax obligations.

Financial obligations are based on documentary or oral agreements between two persons, or less often a group. The debtor, of his own free will or as a result of a certain offense or crime, assumes the debt. For example, a person submits an application for a loan according to his own decision, and compensation for moral damage from an attack, physical violence, or slander will have to be paid at the request of the court.

Debt obligations often arise between individuals due to money

Debt can have a specific framework, criteria or figurative nature. Young people enlist in the army for a period determined by the Constitution. Parents raise their children according to the will of their hearts. A person goes to church out of spiritual desire.

Classification

As mentioned earlier, in everyday life a person encounters various types of debts: moral, state, medical, monetary, etc.

Moral

We are talking about aspects and ethics of citizen behavior in society. Moral duties arise spontaneously and have no specific characteristics. For example, parents, relatives, grandparents require care and concern in old age and during illness. A person is not obliged to repay a debt; he takes care of them out of a conscious desire, out of his own understanding. Such facial actions express love, affection, and gratitude.

A newborn child is not able to provide for himself on his own, so his parents raise him, feed him, clothe him, and teach him. Helping an elderly person cross the road or giving a hand to someone who has fallen in icy conditions is a moral duty. You cannot force a person to fulfill it, this is philosophy - the science of understanding the world.

Municipal

This category includes the financial obligations of the municipality to the state, other organizations and individuals. This also includes the need to provide people with heat, light, water, and to provide assistance to low-income families, large families, and the disabled.

For example, the rural administration is obliged to provide firewood to a pensioner to heat a village house, and building materials to a low-income family. The responsibilities of the municipality include maintaining local roads and infrastructure (cultural centers, hospitals, libraries, schools, etc.).

Duty can also be moral

Military

In many countries, including Russia, the constitutional code defines the obligation of men to serve in the state army. This requirement is based on the fact that the country provides citizens with free medicine, education, housing, social guarantees, and people, for their part, must protect the integrity of the state border and fight for a peaceful situation in the country.

Any citizen, after completing his mandatory period of military service, has the right to continue serving on a contract basis. The military develops personality, courage, will and provides additional guarantees (housing, maintenance, medical care, sanatoriums, etc.).

Monetary

The most popular type of debt known to every person. Being obligated does not mean giving yourself into slavery. The obligation is formed after the receipt of funds, services, goods, and the accrual of taxes and fines. The subject of the relationship is finance, securities, property, intellectual rights, goods, etc.

Monetary debt arises when lending, applying for a loan, borrowing, purchasing inventory, transport, real estate. In a difficult financial situation, you can ask for deferment, installment plans, or debt restructuring.

State

The totality of funds and resources raised to replenish the federal budget is a public debt. The need to receive assistance from other countries, enterprises, and citizens arises if state revenues do not cover the level of costs.

Public debt is classified into two types: internal and external. The first class includes economic debt to the citizens of the country. For example, to ensure expenses, taxes, fees, and excise taxes have been increased. In this situation, we are not talking about a crisis or bankruptcy of the debtor, since the obligation is counter-obligation.

Various types of debt also arise between different countries.

External debt is the volume of cash flows, material and raw materials received from another state to support the microeconomy. Such obligations pose a great danger for the borrower: there is a high probability of being under pressure from the lender and following his desires and thoughts. The total amount of external and internal loans is the capital public debt.

Corporate

Entrepreneurs, as part of their activities, spend their own assets, resources, and attract third parties. As a result of mutual settlements with counterparties, receivables and payables are formed. For example, a company has shipped products, completed work, and the buyer under the transaction undertakes to pay for them within a specified period. A similar situation arises for an enterprise when receiving materials or using the services of other companies on a contractual basis.

Personal

A personal debt of an individual is formed upon receipt of funds or property for a specified period within the framework of a specific contractual relationship. For example, according to a receipt, one person received money from another. At this point, the borrower incurs personal debt. We recommend that you consult with an attorney before entering into such agreements.

An individual, when getting a job, also becomes obligated to the employer to perform certain job functions, instructions, and tasks. The worker’s activities are paid, so such a debt is considered mutually beneficial for both parties.

Current

Obligations, the fulfillment and repayment of which must occur in the near future, are classified as current. That is, under the terms of the transaction, the deadlines for payment of funds, return of property, rights, and debts have not yet arrived. After the debtor fails to fulfill his promise on the appointed date, the arrears become overdue.

Debt relations of enterprises form receivables with creditors

Medical

The norms of moral, ethical and legal regulation of medicine oblige doctors to provide people with feasible medical care free of charge, on their own initiative and within the framework of their qualifications and specialization. In some cases, medical workers have the right to forcibly refer people for treatment if there is a threat to their health and the lives of others. For example, a person has lost consciousness, is mentally ill, or is a carrier of a dangerous infectious disease.

The difference between debt and money

Many financiers in their professional activities generalize the concept of financial obligations and the word debt. From a legal and factual point of view, this is absolutely wrong. Money is a single equivalent that determines the cost of goods and services, allowing for equal exchange. There are several main forms of money: securities, signs of value, special goods, entries in bank accounts, cards.

Banknotes do not have an expiration date, while debt obligations are most often determined by contract and civil law. For example, a bill can remain in your wallet as long as you like and will not lose its validity, but penalties and fines are charged on the loan after the established repayment period.

An important difference between money and debt is the value dimension. For example, a dollar costs 60 rubles, but moral duty cannot be assessed. Finance is used as a payment instrument, but not all obligations are capable of performing this function.

Debt funds

A debt instrument is an obligation that has documentary evidence and justification. May exist in paper, electronic form, currency or ruble equivalent. The form reflects the financial obligations between the person who issued the form (the issuer) and the holder (the lender). According to the classification, debt instruments include shares, bonds, bills, certificates of deposit and other securities.

Any debt relationship must be documented

The main difference between debt securities is the ability to manage them: sell, redeem, transfer in order to achieve maximum efficiency and liquidity. Each financial instrument has a certain characteristic:

1. Duration of validity, repayment - the period of time during which the issuer is obliged to strictly fulfill its obligations in full and pay remuneration (commission, interest), if it is provided for by the transaction.
2. Par value is the concept of calculating the estimated value that determines the redemption, face price of a security.
3. Rate – the amount, calculation method and procedure for paying remuneration for the use of someone else’s money. There is a zero coupon - a period for which commission is not accrued or paid. Coupon rate is the total amount of periodic payments by the issuer. Floating interest is a payment on an obligation that varies in size depending on the conditions of application and validity of the debt instrument.

For any security, repayment terms are selected: in parts or one-time, in full. By agreement of the parties to the relationship, early repurchase of the debt obligation (option) may be provided. The procedure means repaying the debt ahead of schedule without losses for the parties to the transaction.

acting as an internal experience, the compulsion to act in accordance with the needs emanating from ethical values, and to build one’s being in accordance with these requirements. According to Fichte, for whom the whole world is “material for the fulfillment of duty,” there is only one ultimate goal - duty. The only possible belief is to do joyfully and impartially what duty dictates in any case, without giving in to doubts or thoughts about the consequences.

Excellent definition

Incomplete definition ↓

DUTY

ethical category denoting morals. a person's duty to society, class, party or social group; carried out under the influence of societies. opinions and internal morals motives. D.'s demands express the interests of a particular social community of people. The individual’s awareness and experience of these common interests in their connection with personal interests leads to the emergence of consciousness and feelings of D.; a social requirement for a person becomes internal. motivation, a socially conditioned norm of behavior and as such is fixed in society. consciousness of a given social group or society as a whole. Consciousness and feeling of D. are subjective ideological. an expression of a person’s multilateral dependence on his class or society. The concept of D. along with other fundamentals. categories of morality acts as a form of morality. assessments, the content of which is society. or class interest. D.'s social function is to ensure the general interests of society or class. The concept of D. has a long history of development. Ethical theories of the past considered D. as manifestations of either deities. will, or eternal and unchangeable properties of man. nature. In the ethics of the Stoics, for example, D. submission to fate, the will of God and the Stoics. the ideal of the sage, rising above material interests and passions, was derived from the will of the deity. In China philosophy, the meaning of D. was the category “and”, which meant the implementation of strictly established rules in slaveholding and feudalism. society of Ancient China, norms and rules of behavior ("li"). In ind. In ethics, the concept of Dharma, designated by the term dharma, was closely connected with the complex of religions. ideas of Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism. Middle-century religious morality demanded the complete submission of man to the deities. will, which was considered as the source and criterion of D. Awareness of D. supposedly occurs either through “divine revelation” or through the mediation of religions. authorities. The materialists of the past sought to reduce the content and criterion of D. to an earthly basis. Many of them were associated with morals. responsibilities of a person with his personal interests and needs. Franz. materialists of the 18th century harshly criticized religions. the concept of D. and the theory of innate morals. ideas from the standpoint of individualism, which at that time was a means of spiritual liberation of the individual from the oppression of religion. According to Holbach, “... the true foundations of moral duty” lie in the sphere of “... one’s own interest, one’s own happiness and security...” of each person, and the consciousness of duty determined by experience and reason; “...moral duty is the need to resort to means capable of making the beings with whom we live happy, in order to induce them to make ourselves happy” (“System of Nature”, M. , 1940, p. 82, 211). Being representatives of metaphysical view of the world, French. materialists failed to reveal the dialectic between individuals and societies. interests and the class character of morals. D. In Kant's ethics, D.'s requirements appear in the form of a categorical imperative, the dictates of the moral law inherent in humans. mind. The nature of the moral law is unknowable. Kant denies society. origin of morals. D., emphasizes its formal nature and independence from the interests of people and their desires. In his opinion, “the high dignity of duty has nothing to do with the enjoyment of life” (“Critique of Practical Reason”, St. Petersburg, 1897, p. 107). In Hegel’s system, the “good in itself and for itself”, the “absolute goal of the world”, achieved in the process of development of the absolute, acts as D. for the subject. spirit. The subject, according to Hegel, “must have an understanding of the good, make it his intention and implement it in his activity.” This is what fulfilling one's duty is all about. Hegel tried to reconcile D. with the inclinations and feelings of man. He considers the laws of the state to be the basis of D. However, D.’s demands are for him not only external laws and regulations of authority, but receive approval and recognition in the heart, way of thinking and conscience of a person (see Soch., vol. 3, M., 1956, pp. 301–03). As the bourgeoisie gains dominance, the problem of morals. responsibilities are increasingly being decided by the bourgeoisie. ethics from the standpoint of selfish satisfaction. interests of the individual. Ethics are being developed. bourgeois theories utilitarianism (I. Bentham, J. S. Mill), in which the moral relations of people, including their morals. duties are reduced to commercially understood relations of mutual utility. Along with this, vulgar evolutionist theories of morality (H. Spencer) arise and develop, considering morality. the responsibilities of people as a result of the action of a certain law of conservation and increase in the amount of life as quantities. the development of instincts, from which morality grows. Theories appear in which an attempt is made to theoretically substantiate the uselessness of the concept of morality ("morality without obligation and without sanction" - Guyot). What is called D. is nothing more, according to Guyot, than internal consciousness. the power of the individual, the manifestation of his ideas and feelings, merging into sublime pleasures. Bourgeois immorality. society is clearly manifested in imperialist. theories of the elite, the cult of the “superman”, who does not know and should not know any morals. duties to society (Nietzsche). For most modern schools. bourgeois ethics, especially pragmatism, existentialism, hedonism are characterized by complete ethical. relativism, reaching the point of denial D. “The sense of duty,” writes T. W. Smith, “is the last silent witness of the past, and the sooner we overcome and forget it, the better” (“Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences,” v. 5 –6, N.Y., 1950, p. 294). Various schools of positivist ethics reduce the problem of D. to its logic. analysis, to clarify the relationship between judgments of fact and obligation; they are completely indifferent to the facts. human content behavior. So, representatives of the school of ethics. intuitionism prove that D. is self-evident, not deducible, not based on social needs, and ahistorical. Another school in modern bourgeois ethics - emotivism - asserts that the feeling of D. is only an expression of our inclination, psychological. "settings"; it does not reflect any objective content. The judgments in which D. is formulated are unfounded, arbitrary and even meaningless. At the same time, bourgeois. morality is preserved and used to strengthen the bourgeoisie. orders of religions. morality with its concept of D. before God. Yes, modern Protestant ethics proves that D. is absolute, because dictated by a super-intelligent authority - God and at the same time relative, because true only for a given person and only at a given moment and cannot be a universal norm for all people. Eclectically combining elements of absolutism, characteristic of intuitionists, and elements of relativism, characteristic of emotivists, Protestant theologians substantiate the “superreasonableness” of bourgeois norms. morality and justify the moral unprincipledness of the bourgeoisie. A significant contribution to the development of the D category was made by Russians. revolutionary democrats. Taking D. out of the urgent needs of the revolutionaries. fight for the interests of the people. the masses against serfdom and autocracy, they at the same time saw in D. an expression of internal. human needs and aspirations. “...It is not the one who can be called a truly moral person,” wrote N.A. Dobrolyubov, “who only endures the dictates of duty over himself, like some kind of heavy yoke, like “moral chains,” namely, the one who cares to drain the demands of duty with the needs of his inner being, who tries to process them into his own flesh and blood by the internal process of self-awareness and self-development so that they not only become instinctively necessary, but also provide inner pleasure" (Elected philosophical works, vol. 1 , 1948, p. 213). Marxist ethics proceeds from the fact that the requirements of democracy in a class society are of a class nature. Each class develops its own concept of D., corresponding to its interests. Morals D. of the progressive class expresses objectively urgent needs for the development of society. With the greatest certainty, this pattern is manifested in D. revolutionary. the proletariat, in which the fundamental interests of all workers find expression and which, being a class one, is at the same time a society in the full sense of the word. D. The best morals find expression in him. folk traditions wt. Revolutionary The action of the working class consists in uniting all working people for a joint solidarity struggle for the abolition of the exploitation of man by man, for peace, democracy and socialism. The highest, sacred action of the working class is the struggle against capitalism, for the construction of communism. society. The struggle of all peoples consists in the struggle against imperialism. wars, against militarism. Basic content of D. in socialist. society is dedication to the cause of communism, conscientious work for the benefit of society, collectivism and comradely mutual assistance, compliance with the laws and rules of socialism. hostels, defense of the Motherland from imperialism. aggressors, the fight against the remnants of the old system in the minds and everyday life of people, etc. Fulfillment of D. before society is one of the main. morals principles of the moral code of the builder of communism, included in the CPSU Program. This principle states: “high consciousness of public duty, intolerance of violations of public interests.” In various areas of life, socialist. society D. appears in the form of civil, patriotic, labor, international, party, military, family D. Moral-political. unity socialist society ensures a unified orientation of all these forms of D. and the absence of antagonistic. contradictions between them. Socialist society relationships create the most favorable opportunity for the consciousness and feeling of societies. D. has become an integral feature of the spiritual appearance of every member of society. This possibility is realized in the process of communist education of owls. of people. Consciousness and feeling of D. members of the socialist. society is formed in the family, at school, in work collectives and societies. organizations. Decisive in the perception of owls. people in the spirit of fulfilling justice before society has the influence and control of the public and, above all, labor collectives, which are waging an effective struggle against violations of communist principles. morality and socialism legality, against dep. manifestations of parasitism and parasitism. Thanks to the unity of individuals and societies. interests of people under socialism, honest implementation of societies. D. becomes a condition of morality. personal satisfaction and personal happiness. D.'s demands under these conditions do not become antagonistic. contradiction with the desires and aspirations of most people. In the minds of D. owls. people find expression in the flourishing of personality under socialism and high political consciousness of the people. The consciousness and sense of justice in front of society, fostered by the Communist Party, is one of the most important moral forces motivating owls. people to work conscientiously for the good of the people. The consciousness of D. of the people is manifested in the movement for communist. labor, in the struggle for technical people's progress x-va, for the further flourishing of culture and well-being of the people. As we successfully move towards communism and outgrow socialism. statehood in society. communist self-government, consciousness and feeling of D. will play an increasingly important role in the behavior of members of society. In communist in society people will fulfill their morals. duties consciously and habitually. Lit.: Marx K. and Engels F., German Ideology, Works, 2nd ed., vol. 3, p. 235–36; Lenin V.I., State and Revolution, Works, 4th ed., vol. 25, ch. 5; him, Tasks of Youth Unions, ibid., vol. 31; Program of the CPSU, M., 1961; Kalinin M.I., On communist education and military duty, M., 1958; Glushchenko M. G., Social debt of the Soviet man, Kyiv, 1953 (Author's abstract of candidate's thesis); Kon I.S., Marxist ethics and the problem of duty, “Problems of Philosophy”, 1954, No. 3; Shishkin?., Fundamentals of communist morality, M., 1955, p. 144–99; by him, From the history of ethical teachings, M., 1959 (see Index); Podberezin I.M., Motives of duty and moral responsibility in the assessment of actions by schoolchildren, "Uch. zap. North Ossetian State Pedagogical Institute", Ordzhonikidze, 1956, vol. 20; Morozov V.I., The problem of military duty in Marxist ethics, M., 1956 (Author's abstract of candidate's dissertation); ?azmustov B.?., The problem of debt in the ethics of M. G. Chernyshevsky and N. A. Dobrolyubov, "Tr. Voronezh University", 1957, v. 60, no. 1; Drobnitsky O. G., On the question of the category of debt in Marxist ethics, "Philosophical Sciences", 1960, No. 3; Kant I., Critique of Practical Reason, trans. , St. Petersburg, 1897, § 7–8; Smiles S., Dolg, St. Petersburg, 1904; Guyot J.M., Morality without obligation and without sanction, trans. from French, M., 1923; Golbach P.A., System of Nature, trans. [from French], M., 1940; Wendt H., Die sittliche Pflicht, G?tt., 1916; Ross W. D., The right and the good, Oxf., 1930; Ayer A. J., Philosophical essays, L.–N. Y., 1954. O. Drobnitsky, V. Morozov. Moscow. I. Kon. Leningrad.

You or your acquaintances, friends, relatives have probably ever used in your speech such phrases as “moral duty”, “I will owe”, “repay debts”, etc. Have you ever wondered what debt is? In what equivalent can it be measured?

Definition of the word "debt"

This word can be understood both in its literal and figurative meaning:

Direct meaning. Debt is something (most often we are talking about money) borrowed, that is, subject to repayment after an agreed period. For example, loans from friends or a bank, loans - everything that a person is obliged to repay.

Figurative meaning. Debt is a person's obligation to someone or something. Moreover, a person is not forced to fulfill this duty; an inner call prompts him to do just that. Usually in this sense the concept, the word “duty” is associated with patriotism, honor, etc.

Etymology of the word "debt"

There is no consensus regarding this word, and therefore linguists are hesitant to say for sure where the word “debt” came from. There are two most likely assumptions for the origin of the word discussed in this article:

It comes from the Gothic dialect, which has a similar word - dulgs, which means the same as the Russian "debt".

The word “debt” comes from the word “long” in Rus'. Usually, loans are taken out for a long time, and therefore they wait a long time, and therefore the borrowed amounts that are subject to repayment are called debts.

What is “debt” as a part of speech?

The Russian language has many parts of speech: adjective, verb, noun, adverb, numeral, pronoun, participle, gerund, as well as conjunctions, particles, interjections, prepositions.

To determine which part of speech the selected word belongs to, you should select a question for it. In this case, the appropriate question for the word “debt” is “what?” Thus, it is easy to guess that this is a noun.

What mistakes can be made in the word “debt”

The word discussed in this article is practically beyond doubt, because it consists of only four letters and only one syllable. However, the letter “g”, which is located at the very end of the word, is heard as “k” when pronounced. This can be demonstrated by the transcription of the word: [dolk].

To check a questionable letter, you should choose a word in which it will be clearly heard. If it is an unstressed vowel, then the test word must be one in which the sound in that position is stressed. If, as in this case, there is a “problematic” consonant, look for an option where there will be a vowel after it.

The letter “g,” which may be misspelled, can be easily checked by putting “debt” in the plural form: debts. Thus, it is correct to write the word discussed in this article with the letter “g” at the end.

Synonym

It often happens that a word should be replaced by another that is similar in meaning. Most often this is necessary when writing information material. For example, like the one in front of you now.

Replacing words with synonyms is necessary to make the text more expressive, interesting and in no way monotonous. Synonyms also help ensure that the information is presented in the most understandable way, and the word itself does not become boring as you read.

So, you already know that the word “debt” can be represented in two meanings. Therefore, depending on the context you need, use words that are appropriate in meaning. Synonyms for the word “debt” can be: loan, credit, favor, obligation, vocation, “tail”, duty, burden.

Antonym

Do you remember in Russian lessons you studied such a concept as antonyms? Can you now match it to the word discussed in this article?

If you have forgotten what an antonym is, no problem. Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings. For example, white - black, weakness - strength, stupid - smart, cheerful - sad, run - stand, etc.

Does the word "debt" have the opposite meaning? In fact, it is quite difficult to choose this. There is no direct antonym for the word “debt”. But there are indirect ones: gift, bribe, gift, freedom.

Is that clearer?

What is debt in simple words? The article presents the most understandable definitions of the word being analyzed. However, they are taken from dictionaries, which means they can be somewhat tricky. Therefore, if you still do not understand what the word “debt” means, read this section.

So, the most important meaning of the word “debt” is obligation. But to what or to whom does a person owe? And how should this debt be repaid?

First, it is necessary to clarify that debt can be material and moral.

The first is everything that a person borrows and undertakes to give. Most often, in such cases there is some kind of agreement on a loan and subsequent repayment. It specifies the item or amount that is borrowed, the period for which it is lent, and possible interest (may be imposed on the due date or in case of failure to pay on time, although both options exist).

Such an agreement can be oral if people know each other well. Or in writing - a promissory note, a loan agreement. It is issued if the debt is taken from strangers, from a bank, or represents an amount generated in the event of, for example, a loss at cards.

The second is moral duty. There are several varieties of it:

Before people - respect the rights and freedom of others, do not interfere with their existence, do not harm them.

Before the state - to protect, protect and defend your country, your fatherland, to carry out your service with honor and dignity.

Before God - to fulfill God’s commandments, to be a pious Christian, to place above all else your moral and ethical duty to people and the country.

These moral duties often compete with each other, as a result of which a person is tormented by pangs of conscience. Ideally, one should try to combine the different meanings of the word “duty” into a single aspiration.

What kind of debt can there be?

What debt is has been covered in detail above. But it still remains unclear what it really is:

In front of people- public, matrimonial, card, gambling, filial, paternal, maternal, subsidiary, parental, family, medical, related, human, etc.

Before the state - civil, service, military, patriotic, soldier, national, knightly, etc.

In front of - moral, personal, moral, own, masculine, etc.

Before God - sacred, holy, Christian, religious, etc.

Why is debt payment red?

Have you ever heard the proverb “debt is worth paying”? What do you think it means?

It is quite possible that it is about the fact that borrowing any amount is good and very pleasant, because then it will come back to you. Who doesn't like getting money?! Even if it’s your own, even if it’s back...

However, every proverb, saying, saying of the Russian language carries a huge meaning, which has been accumulated and tested by many generations, and over time formed into a certain phrase. Based on this, it follows that in fact the proverb “debt is worth paying” must have a different, deeper meaning. Which one do you think?

This proverb expresses centuries-old folk wisdom about how important it is for a person to repay his debts on time. And these are not empty words, but a recommendation. It should be performed in order to avoid the negative consequences that will certainly overtake if a person does not pay off his debts on time.

Psychics, magicians and other representatives of all kinds of mystical teachings often use such a concept as karma. An unpaid debt that hangs both on the person himself and on his entire family makes a huge hole in his karma. And over time, a person or his descendants may develop some kind of disease, quite possibly fatal.

Why is this happening? The reason is quite simple. A person does not want to repay a debt because of his greed, stinginess, spiritual callousness and lack of honor. After all, if there is a real reason why it is not possible to pay off the debts (for example, there really is no money, he is sitting on the porch), he may ask to postpone the return date. In most cases, they will accommodate him or offer him another repayment option.

But it is still highly recommended not to delay repayment of the debt. After all, astrologers claim that every person needs to pay off all his debts (both spiritual - promises, and material - money) before next year.

This is what debt is and why it is red in payment.

Why is it better not to lend money to friends?

There are a huge number of proverbs with the word “debt”. But there is one of them that haunts many people. It says: “If you want to lose a friend, lend him a loan.” Why do they say this?

Everything is quite simple, and the answer, one might say, lies right on the surface. It is not advisable to lend money to acquaintances, friends, or relatives, because there is a very high probability that you will not get anything back. After all, you can demand them from a stranger, but it’s inconvenient to remind a friend or relative once again. It turns out that you will have to beg and beg for your own. Unpleasant situation.

It’s not for nothing that there is another proverb in the Russian language: “Lend to a friend, but take from an enemy.” That is, if your friend does not repay the debt, the relationship with him will deteriorate, and you will have to “knock out” your money from your enemy.

Cicero on duty - wisdom for centuries

Marcus Tullius Cicero, an ancient Roman philosopher, orator and politician, once said: “Only he lives freely who finds joy in doing his duty.” Stop reading and think for a moment about the meaning of these words.

Perhaps the main idea that Cicero sought to convey to his fellow citizens and future descendants is that a person can get true pleasure from life only by bringing joy to others.

This does not mean at all that he should infringe on himself in everything or go against his principles for the sake of the desires of another person. There is such a thing as “the good of all mankind.” It implies activities and behavior that will help the inhabitants of the whole Earth become better, stronger, happier and richer spiritually.

This is what other teachings teach people. Not only the divine commandments presented in the Bible, but also the legal law also calls for living not for oneself, killing, robbing, indulging base desires, but for others. Remember, not a single rich man who received everything he wanted from life remained for centuries. Over time they forgot about him. And great scientists, military or political figures, writers, actors, as well as many other people who lived not only for themselves, but also for others, are still held in high esteem by citizens. Many have even been canonized as saints; they are the ones people turn to in difficult moments in life, asking for help and blessings.

So you have learned what the word “debt” means, and also why it is so important to repay debts on time. Now you will not only be able to use the word correctly, but you will also begin to live better. After all, you have learned wisdom carried through the centuries.

one of the main categories of ethics, reflecting a special moral attitude. A moral requirement that applies to all people takes the form of duty when it becomes the personal task of a particular individual in relation to his position in any particular situation.

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DUTY

category of ethics expressing morals. task of the department a person, a group of persons, a social group, or a people in specific social conditions and situations and becomes for them an internally accepted obligation (in this D. differs from the more abstract concept of the proper, which covers the area in general of all requirements imposed on people in the form of norms). In the history of mankind, the content of D. has been interpreted differently depending on the specific problems of society and the understanding of the responsibilities lying on a person in a particular era. How moral and ethical. the concept of D. denotes the unconditional necessity of embodying a moral ideal in actions, i.e. observance of justice, promoting the welfare of other people and the desire for personal self-improvement. D. is the most general morals requirement: a person must do good. In this respect, D. differs from other types of command and determination of behavior - utilitarian-conjunctural and political. If a moral requirement expresses the attitude of society towards its individual members (it is formed by society and is presented to them), then D. is the attitude of the individual to society.

Moral obligation is opposed to reality and expresses a person’s dissatisfaction with reality and the consciousness of the need to change it, for only in active opposition to the spontaneously emerging order of things (both around himself and in himself) can a person realize good and limit evil. Two creatures are associated with this, the features of D. - absoluteness and formality. D. is absolute, because it does not depend on transitory circumstances, authorities, or influences of societies. opinions, desires to receive a reward, achieve personal happiness, etc. Source D. representatives of ethical. teachings were seen in different ways: in stoicism, naturalistic. and evolution. ethics - in nature, in theology and objective idealism - in some higher, supernatural. at the beginning, in philosophy. realism - in a person (but not a specific one, but a “generic” representative of humanity). D. is formal because it is valid. the content is revealed through the concepts of goodness, perfection, and ideal. A person embodies a moral requirement in life, guided by reason and conscience, freely self-determining, pursuing goals that could be accepted by every honest person. Only if these formal conditions are met can a moral act be committed: a person does good only by fulfilling his D., i.e. self-limiting oneself, discovering one's independence. It is no coincidence that in a number of ethical concepts (Stoicism, I. Kant, I. G. Fichte) D. was considered as one of the key categories.

The content of D. is specified in the various responsibilities of a person in relation to himself and in relation to other people (for example, D. of a citizen, family man, friendship, partnership, etc.). But not all duties that fix the social, professional, family and other statuses of a person and are called D., are consistent with the D. of a person as a moral person. For example, military D. requires the soldier to carry out all the orders of the commander, but from a moral point of view, the soldier has the right to refuse to carry out orders that violate the norms of humanity and humanity. Moreover, in any situation, a person himself determines what D. commands him and thereby reveals the extent of his responsibility. Cultivating a sense of D. should not be replaced by the formation of diligence or obedience; on the contrary, it should include the development of the ability to self-awareness, responsibility, self-demandingness, a sense of compassion, and tolerance towards other people.

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