Conscience Flashcards
What is a conscience
The ability of moral reasoning and decision making
St Augustine’s view
God speaks to us in our ear to guide us with moral decision making and for an action to be praise worthy it has to be done in line with Gods morals
“In everything you do see god as your witness”
Support of Augustine
Schleiermacher-
A Sin to go against one’s conscience as it would be going against god it should take over all morals
What are Aquinus’ views on conscience
Ratio+synderisis=conscienta
Explain aquinus’ views on conscience
Ratio -reason within humans that distinguishes us from animals eg murder is wrong
+
Synderisis -A natural inclination to do that good over evil eg murder must be avoided
=
Conscienta -The practical application of ratio and synderisis eg do not murder
What does aquinus admit
The conscience is fallible it can make mistakes but we must still follow it and can’t go against the divine law
Fletchers view on conscience
Conscience isn’t something we have it is what we do it’s a guidance from divine entities
Who are the scholars with theological approach
-Augustine
-Fletcher
-Aquinus
What are the secular views
Kohlberg
Fromm
Durkheim
What are kohlbergs stages
He has 6 stages
(Pre conventional)
Obedience and punishment
Self interest
(Conventional)
Good boy/girl
Law and order
(Post conventional)
Social contract
Principle discipline
Explain kohlbergs views
The ability to make moral decisions comes from social interactions he uses two moral dilemmas to test the level of moral development which is the Heinz dilemma
What’s humes counter argument to Kohlberg
You intuitively decide what the right thing to do is.
“Reason should be the slave of passions”
