The Ethical Triad of Shakarim Kudaiberdyuly: A Philosophical Reconstruction of the Concept of Ujdan

Abstract

This article examines the concept of ujdan in the worldview of Shakarim Kudaiberdyuly through the ethicaltriad Ynsap–Adilet–Meirim. The study argues that ujdan should not be understood merely in the narrow lexical sense of “conscience,” but rather as an integrated ethical principle that unites moral self-restraint, justice,and compassion. On this basis, the article aims to clarify the philosophical meaning of each component of thetriad and to demonstrate that their unity forms a normative model of moral personality in Shakarim’s ethicalthought. The methodological basis of the study is grounded in the original philosophical, ethical, and poetictexts of Shakarim Kudaiberdyuly, interpreted through a historical-philosophical and hermeneutic approach.The analysis employs conceptual reconstruction, close reading, and comparative interpretation in order toidentify the internal structure of ujdan and its relation to adjacent categories such as soul, responsibility, moral self-restraint, and the inner regulation of action. The study shows that ynsap functions as moral measureand self-restraint, adilet as the principle of justice and moral responsibility, and meirim as the ethical basis ofcompassion and humane relations. Taken together, these concepts constitute ujdan as the inner foundation ofboth individual moral life and social harmony. The article further demonstrates that Shakarim’s doctrine ofconscience is inseparable from his broader ethical anthropology, according to which the condition of societydepends on the moral condition of the human person. The findings also indicate that Shakarim’s concept ofujdan should be regarded as one of the key categories of Kazakh ethical thought. In this sense, his doctrine ofconscience possesses not only historical and cultural significance, but also contemporary philosophical relevance for discussions of moral education, ethical anthropology, and the humane foundations of social life.