conscience Flashcards
What does conscience do?
Helps the moral agent decide what to do or not to do
Compels/demands a particular action
What are the secular scholars for conscience (4)?
Kholberg, Freud, Durkheim, Fromm
What are the religious scholars for conscience (4)?
Schleimacher, Aquinas, Butler, Fletcher
Is Kholberg secular or non secular?
Secular
What did Kholberg believe conscience is?
Developed through social interaction
What are the levels of moral development Kholberg outlines?
Pre-conventional, Conventional, Post-conventional
What is the pre conventional level Kholberg outlines?
Punishment + obedience; infant - rewarded/punished for actions
What is the conventional level Kholberg outlines?
Needing to please - development of interpersonal relationships
What is the post conventional level Kholberg outlines?
Understanding ppl, selflessness, fuller awareness of doing good things just bc they’re right (not everyone gets here)
What does Freud think conscience is? Give one word
Guilt
What were the 3 elements Freud distinguished in his mind?
Id, ego + superego
What does Freud say the id is?
Unconscious desire for basic physical + emotional needs; eros + thantos (aggression)
What does Freud say the ego is?
Rational self
What does Freud say the super ego?
Controlling ‘inner parent’
The place where your parents commands can be stored
Makes you feel guilty for doing smth you were taught is wrong (eating cake)
What does Freud mean we know we have a conscience when?
We know we have a conscience when we feel guilt after doing/not doing smth we’ve been raised to believe/do
What does the superego do?
Monitor the ego
What does Freud say happens when the superego can’t control the id?
Neurosis (depression, anxiety etc)
What does Freud say about the idea of God playing a role in conscience?
If God plays a part in the conscience, its only as another control mech alongside parental control
The idea of God for theists, is likely to give a guilt-trip to those who break God’s rules
What was Durkheim?
Sociologist
What does Durkheim believe about conscience depends on?
Conscience is diff depending on where, how, when etc they were raised
What did Durkheim believe conscience is?
Social conditioning
How did Durkheim see God?
Projection of society’s powers + tool in reinforcing social demands made by the conscience
What did Durkheim develop the idea of?
Collective conscience
Idea is bad bc it opposes views of society + common conscience
What did Durkheim say about conscience as a survival aspect?
Conscience makes a group stronger
Developed through ppl sticking to same moral rules
What did Fromm say conscience is?
Authoritarian + humanistic conscience
What did Fromm say about conscience?
Guilt, shame, conscience + moral responsibility comes from fear of being rej. by society
What’s Fromm’s authoritarian conscience?
Reps internalised voice of a disapproving society that we’re afraid to disobey
What’s Fromm’s humanistic conscience?
Asp. of conscience that has an intuitive knowledge of what’s human + inhuman
What does Fromm say rejection of authoritarian conscience + embracing humanistic conscience would do?
Free ourselves from the fear if unjust authority + realise our full potential as ppl
What does Augustine say conscience is?
Put into our minds by God; it’s innate knowledge of moral laws
What does Schleimacher say conscience is?
A source of direct rev. from God - going against it is a sin
What problem does Schliermachers idea that conscience is the voice of God pose?
Amount of evil in the world; suggests God chooses ppl to speak to + tells them to commit evil
What issue does Schleirmachers idea of conscience as the voice of God pose in terms of Church?
Christians sometimes oppose moral principles of Church + disagree
How does everyone have a diff answer?
What does Aquinas think about conscience?
God given faculty of reason
Want does Aquinas use to enforce conscience being God given faculty of reason?
Synderesis rule: do good, avoid evil
This is God given
What did Aquinas view conscience as?
Its not a source of moral knowledge, but it’s a guide
What does Aquinsa say we may be wrong in?
Applying conscience bc it can move us in the wrong direction/mislead us
What does Aquinas spec. refer to conscience as?
“Application of knowledge to activity”
What does Aquinas say we apply?
Apply primary precepts
When does Aquinas say humans do wrong?
When conscience (not synderesis) makes a mistake
What are 2 types of ignorance acc to Aquinas?
Invincible + vincible
What is invincible ignorance (Aquinas)?
Can’t be overcome by using one’s reason
What is vincible ignorance (Aquinas)?
Can be overcome by using ones reason
What is an example of Aquinas’ invincible ignorance?
Student gen. thinks there is no homework but they were wrong
What is an example of Aquinas’ vincible ignorance?
Student didn’t do homework bc they missed a lesson + didn’t ask for catch up work
Where does Aquinas say we make mistakes?
Make mistakes in applying knowledge even though we infallibly know what’s right/wrong
What does Butler believe about conscience?
It’s God given faculty; intuitive, reflective + autonomous
What does Butler believe conscience is?
A ‘reflective principle’ placed within us by God
How does Fletcher view conscience?
Conscience is a verb, not a noun
It’s what humans do when they use agape to decide how love is affirmed
