conscience Flashcards
what does the word conscience come from ?
comes from the Latin “conscientia”
pre 17th century what did conscience refer to ?
conscience referred to self-conscience and consciousness e.g. the fundamental awareness we have of ourselves as thinking, feeling individuals.
what is conscience according to Aquinas ?
is where we apply the synderesis rule (good is to be done and evil is to be avoided) to particular situations.
after the 17th century what does conscience more often refer to ?
more emphasis on individual moral and social responsibility and from this a more narrower view on conscience
what did Kohlberg believe about conscience
conscience as behaviour developed through social interaction
acquired
developed over time
innate
bourn with it
infallible
never make mistakes
fallible
may not be perfect for a particular reason
universal
everyone has this
not universal
not everyone has this
what are Kohlberg ideas ?
acquired
fallible
not universal (not everyone reaches the highest level)
what does Kohlberg use to support his ideas
The Heinz dilemma - Heinz got desperate and broke into the mans laboratory to steal the drug for his wife
how would someone act in the pre conventional stage
Heinz dilemma
wouldn’t steal because stealing is wrong and the would go to prison
how would someone act in the conventional stage
Heinz dilemma
to steal - expected by his wife, helps her but with acknowledgment he should still receive a punishment
how would someone act in the post conventional stage
Heinz dilemma
want to develop a universal rule - do not steal. tackle the injustice of the situation. there is an issue with not affording medical care.
what did Freud believe about conscience
conscience as an aspect of the super ego.
what are freuds ideas ?
acquired
fallible
not universal
what is the super ego ?
the controlling, restraining self
how is the super-ego related to conscience
is an aspect of the operation of the super ego.
the commands we have been given in our lives are internalised.
what happens if we try and escape the internalised commands ?
to try and escape them leads to feelings of guilt. we cannot escape them.
in what way does the conscience operate at an unconscious level ? (Freud)
it manifests by feelings of shame and remorse, guilt.
conscience can operate at both the conscious and unconscious levels.
what did Durkheim believe about conscience ?
conscience as sanctions or social conditioning
what are Durkheim’s ideas?
acquired
fallible
not universal (everyone experiences society differently)
non religious
what does Durkheim believe about God ?
God is society, God does not exist but is a useful idea.
what is conscience for Durkheim
conscience is a perception of loyalty to the group.
no conscience is to say they are maladjusted to society (don’t follow society’s norms)
what is collective conscience ? (Durkheim)
an act is socially bad simply because society disapproves of it
how can we explain that Durkheim’s view on conscience has an evolutionary perspective
conscience is a mechanism where the group grows stronger, it is a survival mechanism developed through people following shared moral values
what did Fromm believe about conscience
conscience as authoritarian and humanistic.
conscience comes in two forms
what are Fromm’s ideas ?
acquired
not universal