CONSCIENCE Flashcards
What 3 topics does Aquinas Discuss ?
- RATIO
- SYNDERESIS
- IGNORANCE
What is Aquinas’ view of Conscience in relation to RATIO ?
- To UNDERSTAND CONSCIENCE you NEED to UNDERSTAND RATIO (reason)
- HUMANS have SPECIAL QUALITIES, LEARN to DO SOPHISTICATED THINGS – RATIO DISTINGUISHES HUMANS from OTHER ANIMALS – ONLY HUMANS can DELIBERATE overall MORAL MATTERS – RATIO is a FUNDAMENTAL PART of the created human being – DIVINE GIFT from GOD
- CONNECTS US To the ETERNAL REALM, to The DIVINE
- MORALITY ISN’T doing what’s CULTURALLY ACCEPTED by many - with RATIO there’s MOVEMENT to SOMETHING HIGH, BEYOND what’s SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE to a higher morality
What is Aquinas’ view of Conscience in relation to SYNDERESIS?
- WITHIN US there’s SOMETHING that DIRECTS US TOWARDS GOOD and AWAY from EVIL
- there’s a SENSUALITY within Each of Us , TEMPTS US towards EVIL, OPERATING IN the GARDEN of Eden where Eve and Adam were tempted
- SYNDERESIS is a HABIT where we can USE RATIO to CULTIVATE ( BUILD IT / ACQUIRE ) the HABIT of SYNDERESIS
What is Aquinas’ view of Conscience in relation to IGNORANCE ?
- CONSCIENCE is BINDING - Going AGAINST REASON is ALWAYS WRONG - humans should DO what THEY THINK is RIGHT which can be discovered through reason
- ACKNOWLEDGES HUMAN being can MAKE MISTAKES as RATIO INVOLVES KNOWLEDGE which can be INCOMPLETE , we CAN do the WRONG THING EVEN if we THOUGHT it was RIGHT - doesn’t mean we’re blameless
What are the 2 Types of IGNORANCE AQUINAS comes up with - explained
- VINCIBLE IGNORANCE - Wrong Decision, ARE to BLAME as you DIDN’T Go FAR ENOUGH in Gathering APPROPRIATE EVIDENCE, e.g. headteacher
- INVINCIBLE IGNORANCE - Wrong Decision when there’s a LACK of KNOWLEDGE are NOT to BLAME - ACTED to BEST of Our KNOWLEDGE , done all we can e.g. mother cake
What is a CRITICISM of AQUINAS’S View on Conscience
- WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH - IF GOD has GIVEN US ALL the FACULTY of REASON , Then HOW can some PEOPLE USE IT to JUSTIFY such DISCRIMINATORY BEHAVIOR?
Why don’t we all reason what’s good in the same way
FREUD - What are the 3 DIFFERENT LEVELS of The Mind that OPERATE HUMAN PERSONALITY?
- The ID
- The EGO
- The SUPER EGO
Explain FREUD’S idea of the ID
- an Entirely UNCONSCIOUS ASPECT of PERSONALITY that’s PRESENT from BIRTH, the MOST CENTRAL COMPONENT Of Personality - powerful, DRIVEN By the PLEASURE PRINCIPLE , SEEKS IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION
- If striving for IG FAILS to SATISFY all Wants, then ANXIETY and TENSION RESULT
- it’s NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE to SATISFY all of the ID’s DESIRES
Explain FREUD’S idea of the EGO?
- NOT SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE to SEEK IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION for ALL our DESIRES
- part that REACTS to the World as well as MEDIATING BETWEEN the EGO and SUPEREGO
- DRIVEN by the REALITY PRINCIPLE , is a RATIONAL Part, the Ego Reconciles the Id
- it’s DELAYED GRATIFICATION - it MANAGES the TENSIONS CAUSED when the ID’S DESIRES AREN’T IMMEDIATELY SATISFIED
Explain FREUD’S idea of the SUPER EGO
- Part Most Closely with FEELINGS of GUILT that CONSCIENCE BRINGS - GUILTY CONSCIENCE is the INTERNALISATION of ANGER and DISAPPROVAL of OTHERS
- the RESPIRATORY of INTERNALISED MORAL STANDARDS of RIGHT and WRONG that children acquire from family & society
- the GREATER the SUPER EGO - DOMINATES Over the EGO, the GREATER the Extent to which a PERSON AVOIDS ACTIONS that RESULT in Them BREAKING the RULES -> can LEAD To a PERSON ACTING to PLEASE EXTERNAL AUTHORITY RATHER than FINDING WAY to MANAGE DESIRES in the LEAST SOCIALLY UNACCEPTABLE
What is a STRENGTH of FREUD’S View on Conscience ?
- His explanation is BASED on PSYCHOLOGY RATHER than THEOLOGY. In engaging in empirical research - he PROVIDED a MORE SCIENTIFIC VIEW Than theological views like Aquinas
What is a WEAKNESS of FREUD’S View on Conscience ?
- ALTHOUGH Freud’s Work is seen as EMPIRICAL , the RESEARCH it’s Based on is LIMITED - his analysis was based on a SMALL SAMPLE of PATIENTS with Psychological Problems - DIFFICULT to GENERALISE them to the Whole Population
What are the 2 ways FROMM considered Conscience as
- AUTHORITARIAN Conscience
- HUMANITARIAN Conscience
Explain FROMM’s AUTHORITARIAN CONSCIENCE ?
- Derived from a FEAR of DISPLEASING AUTHORITY, led to guilt , Causing a GREATER SUBMISSION to AUTHORITY
- Has Authority as it Came From an Authority
- Involves us FEARING AUTHORITY enough to SUBMIT to its DEMANDS ,Fear of Displeasing Authority - FEAR PUNISHMENT when disobedient
Explain FROMM’s HUMANITARIAN CONSCIENCE ?
- we all have ABILITY to JUDGE and EVALUATE Our BEHAVIOUR and ourselves as people , MAKING our OWN AUTHORITY FIGURES –> Aim for SELF ACTUALISATION
- the EVOLVED CONSCIENCE , DEVELOPED as we Get Older - Evaluating and Moderating our behaviour ACCORDING to EXAMPLES of OTHERS