Abstract

The article discusses the philosophical heritage of Abay, in whose ethical teaching Kazakh philosophy reaches its most mature stage. It is noted that the thinker was able to embody in his creations the thoughts and aspirations of the Kazakhs, their concepts of being, morality and ethics. All the work of the Kazakh philosopher is full of deep reflections on a whole, universal, harmonious and moral person, and his main goal was to teach what to do and what not to do in order to become a Person, to acquaint people with the true essence of good and evil. Abay is one of those philosophers and poets who form a person’s soul, the soul of the Kazakh people, and therefore, their national identity,the formation of which proceeded in the conditions of nomadic lifestyle accompanied by interactions with other cultures. He tries to reveal a unique character of the Kazakhs’ world, i.e. their cultural code. Abay's philosophical views, permeated with the ideas of moral improvement, kindness, mercy, justice, and tolerance, perform as the basis of the Kazakh national worldview, which forms the Kazakhs’ cultural code.

Key words: philosophy, the Kazakhs, heritage, Abay, cultural code, person, idea, goodness, identity.