Conscience Flashcards
significant ideas
Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
-conscience is the “mind of man making moral judgements”
Ratio
-reason and ability to make moral judgements
-didn’t believe conscience was a special power or part of our mind but linked with reason
-ratio distinguishes us from animals
only humans deliberate over moral matters and therefore ratio is a fundamental part of how humans were created – imago dei (image of God)
-act of working things out
-helps us connect to the eternal realm, to the divine truth
-means morality isn’t just following the laws of the land or what is culturally, socially or politically ‘normal’
-reaches beyond what is socially acceptable to a higher morality
Pope Benedict XVI
-reflects on Jesus’ trial
-“they are shouting the same thing that everyone else is shouting. And in this way, justice is trampled underfoot”
-linked to many acts of social disorder where conscience can be over rules or ignored such as the holocaust
Synderesis
-within every human
-“do good and avoid evil”
-but, there is sensuality within us which tempts us to do evil
-example, Garden of Eden and forbidden fruit
-whilst both play a part in humans, Aquinas (unlike Augustine) believed that humans lean towards goodness before evil
-humans can use ratio to cultivate habit of synderesis
-synderesis = process of conscience, leans towards goodness (guided by ratio) and away from guilty pleasures
Conscientia
-conscience in action
-when ratio is used to inform synderesis and this results in acting upon your conscience to do the right thing = conscientia
-“it is clear that conscience is an act”
ignorance
-must follow ratio and conscience at all times, even if it leads to a wrong choice
-using your ratio, inline with synderesis, whatever it is directing you towards is right
-Aquinas did recognise that mistakes can be made, as sometimes knowledge is incorrect
-apparent and real goods
-sometimes if a mistake is based on the ‘right’ ignorance, you are morally blameless
vincible ignorance
-lack of knowledge for which a person can be held responsible
-not an excuse
-morally culpable for acts
-example, supported someone to have euthanasia, ignoring fact that its against the law, should’ve known better
invincible ignorance
-lack of knowledge which a person isn’t responsible for
-person acts in the best of their knowledge, with reasonably informed information but still make a mistake
-believes that God wouldn’t condemn such an act
-example, not knowing someone is allergic to nuts, wasn’t in any documents
conscience
-can be mistaken, apparent goods followed not real goods
-therefore, conscience is fallible (not perfect)
-but conscience can be mistaken through your own fault or not
-Aquinas’ example of invincible ignorance:
-if you are sleeping with another man’s wife knowing its another man’s wife, breaking ten commandments, but convinced yourself that she is your wife and she wants you, then you can’t be blamed
evaluation: strengths
-highly influential view – supported by Catholic Church, Catechism of Catholic Church “(conscience) formulates its judgements according to reason” (+)
-explains why conscience can sometimes be incorrect: wrong use of reason – following apparent goods (+)
-clear set authority/guidance – supported by Bible (+)
-everyone can experience reason (+)
-included knowledge and reasoning as well as religion so everyone can apply it (+)
evaluation: weaknesses
-some acts can never be morally blameless: acts may still break the law entitle punishment – regardless of right intention/following conscience (-)
-assumes good and evil are the same for everyone, Nielson – good and evil are culturally subjective (-)
-what happens if you don’t believe in God? (-)
-assumes no emotion is expressed (-)
-are humans really that rational? (-)
-can conscience conflict with reason? which one do you follow in an ethical decision? (-)
Freud
-theory of mind: psychoanalysis
-provides an alternative account of conscience
-every person goes through 5 psychosexual stages:
1. oral (0-1), focused on sucking
2. anal (1-3), enjoy the pleasure of bowel movements
3. phallic (3-5/6) – crucial for development of superego (oedipus and electra complexes occur), all boys sexually love their mothers, jealous of their father
4. latency (5/6 - puberty)
5. genital (puberty - maturity), concerned with sex
-each stage is associated with a particular part of the body
-the libido (sexual desire) focuses on that part of the body as a source of pleasure or fustration or both
three aspects of human personality
- Id
- ego
- superego
- Id
-unconscious part of the mind
-present from birth
-central component of personality
-powerful, primitive and instinctive
-driven by pleasure principle
-seeks immediate gratification
- ego
-it isn’t socially acceptable to seek immediate gratification for all desires, children learn to keep them in check
-through teachings of parents and wider society
-what is or isn’t socially acceptable
-develops into ways to satisfy your desires that are more acceptable
-mediates the Id and superego
-reality principle
-example, horse (id) and rider (ego)
-good conscience = effective operation of ego over id, where desires are achieved whilst avoiding punishment from social authorities
- superego
-last part of human psyche to develop (around 5)
-stores all of our internalised moral standards of right and wrong acquired from parents and society
-based on behaviourism, when you are rewarded you bank this in your superego as a good act vice versa
-super ego stops us from breaking rules because of fear of punishment, or feelings of guilt
-talk about conscience, simply feeling guilt because of super ego
-conscience = aspect of superego
-“observes the ego, gives it orders, judges it and threatens it with punishment”
iceberg
-superego – must conform to societies behavioural expectations
-ego – conscience based upon guilt of disappointing parents
-id – deep down at the bottom of the unconscious mind
-morality comes from human conscience not God
evaluation: strengths
-founder of psychoanalysis – still used today (+)
-fundamental in the development of dreams, mind and conscious, subconscious, unconscious ideas (+)
-clear that parents/environment affect our morals and ethical ideas (+)
-recognises the importance of childhood and role of parents in moral development (+)
-explains why all our morals are so different because they are affected over time/cultures/society/influence on parents (+)
evaluation: weaknesses
-unethical/unscientific case studies carried out: little Hans (-)
-what about children from single parent families or modern families – Freud implies they are immoral = illogical (-)
-what happens if parents are immoral? – implies little freewill over morals if inbuilt by parents (-)
-does this mean parents can be held responsible if their children are immoral/break the law? (-)
-ignores later life experiences (-)
-is conscience/morality unconscious – what about freewill - do we not have more control over it? (-)
guilt
-internal conflict in the mind, the struggle between what you desire and what you feel you should or shouldn’t do
-Freud, it is this inner turmoil or guilt that can lead people to doing bad things
-isn’t a consequence of wrongdoing but a case of future wrongdoings
-Aquinas, it’s God’s grace that banishes guilt from a person
religious views on conscience: Augustine
-voice of God speaking to us, problems with free will
-considered most seriously
-“see God as your witness”
-people are able to sense right and wrong because God reveals it to us personally
religious views on conscience: Butler
-essential part of being human
-separated us from animals
-like Aquinas, it is what we use to judge an action good or bad
-automatic and authoritative
-exerts itself spontaneously “without being consulted”
-has the final say in moral choices
-god-given guide to right conduct
-should always be followed
-“our natural guide, the guide assigned to us by the Author of our nature”
-comparison with Aquinas
religious views on conscience: Newman
-know what is right and wrong through illative sense – feelings of guilt and responsibility
-rather than through use of reason/conditioning
-our conscience is the “Voice of the Lawgiver”
-conscience is the messenger from God
non-religious views of conscience: Piaget
-most comprehensive theory of intellectual (cognitive) developmental psychology
-proposed a universal series of stages throughout childhood
-marbles games
-2 different stages of morality
1. heteronomous morality (5-9) – looks beyond self for moral authority/ rules must be obeyed, set down by higher authority, children want to be told what to do
2. autonomous morality (10+) – personal code of conduct develops based on social perceptions and punishments in proportion with actions
non-religious views of conscience: Fromm
-influenced by external authority: parents, teachers, Church leaders
-rules internalised by person
-disobedience causes guilt = weakens our power, becomes submissive to authority
-speaking from personal experience, Nazi Germany
-authoritarian conscience
-later developed a humanistic approach = healthier = assesses and evaluates our behaviour
-it is our real self
-leads us to reach our full potential
