Conscience

Question 1

What must you know for conscience

Answer 1

Aquinas’ theological approach
(ratio, synderesis, concertina, vincible and invincible ignorance)

Freuds psychological approach (psychosexual, id, ego, superego, oedipus complex)

Question 2

What is Aquinas’ view on conscience

Answer 2

Conscience is a process of reasoning rather than a voice.

We make judgements based on the circumstances we find ourselves in

Question 3

What is Synderesis

Answer 3

The inner principle directing a person towards good and away from evil

We educate our synderesis to not go towards apparent goods

Question 4

What is Conscientia

Answer 4

A person’s reason making moral judgements

Question 5

What is recta ratio

Answer 5

Our ability to reason is given to us by God as we are in the image of God

Question 6

What is Aquinas’ explanation to why our conscious makes mistakes

Answer 6

Because we haven’t got enough experience of reasoning.

There are also vincible and invincible ignorances

Question 7

What are vincible and invincible ignorances

Answer 7

Vincible - Lack of knowledge to which a person is responsible

Invincible - Lack of knowledge to which a person is not responsable

Question 8

What is Freuds psychological view of conscience

Answer 8

Conscious, Preconscious, Unconscious

Ego, ID, Superego

Psychosexual development (Oedipus complex)

Question 9

Strengths and Weaknesses for Aquinas’ views on Conscience

Answer 9

+ Rational rather than intuitive
+ Explains why we may make conscious mistakes
+ Explains moral disagreement

.- Does not link God to consciousness
.- Does not link social and environmental factors

Question 10

Strengths and Weaknesses for Freuds vies on Conscience

Answer 10

+ Freud helps explain environmental factors to consciousness
+ Attempts to be empirical
+ Attempts to show it to be a real thing

.- Limited support and evidence
.- Unfalsifiable
.- Ignores God as a potential factor