conscience

Question 1

what is augustine’s view

Answer 1

humans are fallen creatures. we cannot rely on human reason

Question 2

scholars in this topic

Answer 2

aquinas
freud
augustine
Pope Benedict
Hannah Arendt
Freud

Question 3

What is synderesis according to Aquinas?

Answer 3

Synderesis is the habit or ability of reason to discover foundational ‘first principles’ of God’s natural moral law, providing insight into God’s intentions for human life.

It incites to good and murmurs at evil.

Question 4

What does the synderesis rule state?

Answer 4

The good is what all things seek as their end (telos).

This reflects human nature’s innate orientation toward the good.

Question 5

List the primary precepts by Aquinas.

Answer 5

• Worship God
• Live in an orderly society
• Reproduce
• Educate
• Protect and preserve human life
• Defend the innocent

These precepts articulate the natural inclinations of our God-designed human nature.

Question 6

How does Aquinas define conscience?

Answer 6

Conscience is ratio (reason) used to understand and apply God’s natural law.

It involves the psychology of applying moral law.

Question 7

What are the three classic features of conscience according to Aquinas?

Answer 7

• Witness – knowing if something was done
• Bind & incite – judging if something should be done
• Accuse, torment & rebuke – judging if something done is well or ill done

These features explain how conscience causes feelings of guilt.

Question 8

What is the difference between vincible and invincible ignorance?

Answer 8

Invincible ignorance is when a person could not have known better, while vincible ignorance is when a person could have known better and is thus blameworthy.

Invincible ignorance is not considered a sin.

Question 9

What is the consequence of acting against one’s conscience according to Aquinas?

Answer 9

Every judgment of conscience, whether right or wrong, is obligatory; acting against it is always a sin.

This is because one believes they are doing something evil.

Question 10

Define real goods and apparent goods.

Answer 10

Real goods are truly good actions, while apparent goods are actions that seem good due to faulty reasoning.

Apparent goods can mislead individuals.

Question 11

What criticism does Karl Barth have of Aquinas’ natural law theory?

Answer 11

Barth argues that it places an overreliance on human reason, suggesting that if humans could know God’s morality through reason, then revelation would be unnecessary.

He believes this leads to idolatry.

Question 12

What is Freud’s view on conscience?

Answer 12

Freud believed the conscience is a result of psychological forces, particularly the interplay between the Id, Ego, and Super Ego, rather than the voice of God.

He argued that society conditions our moral feelings.

Question 13

What is a criticism of Freud’s theories?

Answer 13

Freud’s theories are criticized for being ‘unfalsifiable’ and not empirical due to a small sample size and lack of scientific rigor.

Karl Popper highlighted these issues.

Question 14

What is descriptive moral relativism?

Answer 14

Descriptive moral relativism is the observation that different cultures have vastly different moral beliefs.

This raises questions about the existence of an innate moral law.

Question 15

What is the argument against Aquinas’ view of human nature?

Answer 15

Critics argue that the existence of extreme evils, such as slavery and Nazism, challenges the idea that human nature is oriented toward the good.

Aquinas acknowledges the potential for failure to do good despite an orientation toward it.

Question 16

What does Freud argue is necessary for maintaining social order?

Answer 16

Repressing anti-social instincts

Examples include instincts for sex and violence

Question 17

What is heteronomous morality according to Piaget?

Answer 17

A stage where children associate actions as bad due to authority figures

This occurs before the age of 11

Question 18

What fundamental shift in morality occurs after age 11 according to Piaget?

Answer 18

Development of autonomous morality

Children begin to form abstract cognitive moral beliefs

Question 19

What critique did Karl Popper make of Freud’s theory?

Answer 19

It is ‘unfalsifiable’

Meaning it cannot be proven wrong

Question 20

What does Freud suggest is a better approach for society than religious imposition?

Answer 20

Autonomy

People would understand the need for social rules and follow them willingly

Question 21

what is aquinas’ conscience NOT

Answer 21

not the voice of god or our own little voice
it is synderesis and using reason to come to a practical solution

Question 22

how does aquinas differ from augustine

Answer 22

augustine thinks that reason, intellect and mind are all the same thing. but aquinas distinguishes reason as a seperate thing. we did not lose it in the fall

we are still in Imageo Dei so we retain the gift of ratio. it is in every human, as humans are the only creatures to deliberate over moral matters.

Question 23

what do protestants think about conscience

Answer 23

in the fall, almost all our reasoning powers were lost, we are rationally destitute and should just take lead from god’s directly revealed framework

Question 24

what is ratio

Answer 24

reason
it is progressive, it has some sort of direction which leads us to judgements.
=> it leads us to action

Question 25

what was aquinas inspired by

Answer 25

paul's letter to the romans(1:20) suggests that we move from knowledge of this world to knowledge of the eternal world. ratio connects us to the eternal realm

Question 26

progressive ratio quote

Answer 26

"reason (ratio) relates to understanding as Journeying to rest" he calls it "the road of investigation and discovery"

Question 27

how does aquinas develop upon aristotle

Answer 27

there are 2 types of knowledge 1. theoretical (scientific) - pursues truth 2. practical (ethics, how we should be, what is good) - this plans what we should do intention is 1. truth. 2. a plan of action

Question 28

what points do aquinas and pope benedict and Hannah Arendt make

Answer 28

morality is about using reason rather than following the crowd Pope Benedict emphasised the dangers of basing moral actions on societal norms Hannah Arendt also makes this point regarding the Holocaust

Question 29

Pope Benedict quote regarding not following the crowd

Answer 29

about jesus' trial "they are shouting the same thing that everyone else is shouting. And in this way, **justice is trampled underfoot"**

Question 30

aquinas book

Answer 30

Summa Theologica lord istg if you dont know this just dont bother with the a level

Question 31

what is synderesis (L)

Answer 31

the natural inclination to do good and avoid evil. a universal desire and part of God's will for humanity. it is infallible

Question 32

what is conscienta (L)

Answer 32

the name Aquinas gives to the intellectual process of forming our particular moral judgements in individual circumstances. "reason making the right decisions" can be trained, should be a habit

Question 33

what does the application of conscienta rely on

Answer 33

PRUDENCE involves 3 skills -understanding -judgement -good deliberation

Question 34

what does Servais Pinckaers say

Answer 34

"St Thomas saw conscience and prudence as two converging lights"

Question 35

what does aquinas believe a full conscienta entails. and who was it said by

Answer 35

Servais Pinckaers to "witness, bind or incite, and to accuse" - witness (see our past actions and judge them) - bind/incite (judges that something to should(nt) be done. we apply knowledge of moral law and commits us to do the right thing) - accuse (judging whether our action was well or ill done. if wrong, our conscience accuses, torments, and rebukes us (causing guilt)

Question 36

how does aquinas explain errors in action eg evil

Answer 36

because of ignorance about how to apply divine/eternal laws. vincible/invincible

Question 37

vincible ignorance with example

Answer 37

- ignorance that can be overcome using one's reason - if you sold a gun to someone with a violent criminal record

Question 38

invincible ignorance

Answer 38

- ignorance that cannot be overcome by using one's reason - outcomes from invincible ignorance are not morally wrong - if you sold a gun to a model citizen who went on a rampage. you followed ratio etc and there was no likelihood this would have been the outcome

Question 39

what can excuse a bad moral action according to aquinas

Answer 39

- a lack of choice - invincible ignorance

Question 40

why is choice important to aquinas

Answer 40

catholic moral theology says one needs full consent and knowledge to commit a sin

Question 41

prudence what IS it / ISNT IT

Answer 41

it is an act, not a power

Question 42

what should you also apply when using conscienta

Answer 42

the 5 primary precepts

Question 43

briefly freud on conscience

Answer 43

not based on rational decision making, but is a product of psychological factors that influence human beings

Question 44

key theories of freud x3

Answer 44

- psychosexual development - oedipus complex - penis envy

Question 45

freud on the CONSCIOUS

Answer 45

- conscious mind (the thoughts a person has) - pre-conscious (the memories not readily available but accessible) - unconscious mind (repressed thoughts and feelings, inducing primitive desires, wish fulfillment. dreams)

Question 46

freud quote on ego superego and id

Answer 46

"psychic apparatus"

Question 47

the id

Answer 47

instinctive impulses that seek satisfaction in pleasure. amoral, egocentric and pleasure-seeking, libido impulsive and unconscious. sex and violence (eros, thanatos) they are at war operates on the "pleasure principle"

Question 48

the ego

Answer 48

develops to mediate between the unrealistic if and the external real world. the decision making component of personality. uses reason operates on the "reality principle" seeks pleasure but is concerned with seeking a realistic strategy to obtaim pleasure. considers social etiquette, norms and rules

Question 49

ego and id simile

Answer 49

"like a man on horseback who has to hold in check the superior strength of the horse"

Question 50

the superego

Answer 50

contradicts the id and works on internalised ideals from parents, society. tries to impose morality controls the id's impulses 2 systems - the conscience, punishes through guilt - the ideal self, how you ought to be. behaviour which falls short ends in guilt. largely determined from parental values

Question 51

differences between freud and aquinas

Answer 51

- atheist/theological - psychological, no rational basis for moral decision making / rational, geared towards synderesis (the good) - conscience is the product of internal tensions / conscience is the gift from god.

Question 52

why is freud helpful x5

Answer 52

- empirical (sort of) - freud begins with our experience of guilt - which is how the conscience reveals itself. - supports the sub-conscious self as sometimes we act for reasons we do not understand. - explains through moral relativism how opinions can differ

Question 53

how does dawkins support freud

Answer 53

in The Selfish Gene, he says we are built for survival (violence) and reproduction (sex)

Question 54

why is freud not helpful

Answer 54

- no tangible evidence to prove anyhting, accused of devising a theory to fit the facts. he uses little experimental basis. largely female or mentally ill viennese patients who dont reflect society as a whole. - Karl Popper - Fletcher - Mikkel Borch-Jacobsen - Karl Jung - Foucault - Ockham's Razor - Frank Tallis - Karen Reivich - Bertrand Russel

Question 55

freud criticism acronym

Answer 55

FORK KMBF Foucault Ockham's Razor Reivich (Karen) Karl Popper Karl Jung Mikkel Borch-Jacobson Bertrand Russel Frank Tallis and Fletcher

Question 56

Foucault (on freud)

Answer 56

reductive, everything is reduced to childhood and sex Freud denounces religion but he's the same in the way he reduces problems to sexual ethics

Question 57

Ockhams Razor (on freud)

Answer 57

on the oedipus complex, we can find a theory to explain guilt w/ less hypotheses

Question 58

Karen Reivich (on freud)

Answer 58

educational psychologist freud is unduly pessimistic

Question 59

Karl Jung (on freud)

Answer 59

for freud, religion is oppressive and a neurosis for jung, religion is positive and liberating

Question 60

Karl Popper (on freud)

Answer 60

Freud is not falsifiable rejection of the theory could be argued to be a repression of subconscious (circular)

Question 61

Mikkel Borch-Jacobson (on freud)

Answer 61

Freud's approach was more akin to creative fiction rather than social science

Question 62

Bertrand Russel (on freud)

Answer 62

Fallacy of Composition - the error where one assumes what is true of a small group is true of a whole society (links to his clientele being elite Viennese)

Question 63

Fletcher (on freud)

Answer 63

conscience is a verb rather than a noun. not rules and reductive to say its a manifestation of guilt

Question 64

Frank Tallis (on freud)

Answer 64

too male-centred, less persuasive when discussing female psychology

Question 65

how is freud a counter to aquinas

Answer 65

most of our actions are subconscious we all think our decisions are ours and rational reasons why we behave are buried

Question 66

Eric Fromm view of the conscience

Answer 66

we have two consciences 1) the authoritarian conscience - effectively freud's view on the conscience (we internalise our fears of authority and that becomes that of the authority) good authoritarian conscience makes us feel secure, a bad authoritarian conscience makes us fear punishment. (references ordinary german citizens feeling guilty about disobeying the nazis) 2) the humanistic conscience - SOME of us can develop this. our own inner voice telling us how well we are functioning in life. higher and more developed conscience, but for most, the authoritarian conscience dominates

Question 67

piaget on conscience x4

Answer 67

- psychologist - before the age of 11, children have heteronomous morality, they associate actions as bad due to authority, environment, culture. - "heteronomous authority essentially cant derive own morality" - after 11 autonomous morality develops in children, where they have abstract cognitive moral beliefs

Question 68

cardinal john henry newman

Answer 68

- theist, similar to augustine - conscience is still innate but not literal voice of god - it is a messenger, acting as a truth detector rather than a truth inventor - not an autonomous reality but a means through which individuals can engage with objective moral truths. - He saw it as a "connecting principle between the creature and his Creator," allowing people to perceive the echoes of a divine voice guiding them towards ethical behaviour

Question 69

dawkins on conscience

Answer 69

- morality has an evolutionary origin - "the selfish gene" wishes to reproduce and adhering the common moral norms help us achieve this - we protect kin - reciprocity - reputation, attraction of mates

Question 70

who supports dawkins on the conscience

Answer 70

E.O. Wilson

Question 71

E.O. Wilson on conscience

Answer 71

-biologist - humans naturally cohere into groups and divide into it-groups and out-groups on instinct - we are a eusocial species (advanced level of social organisation) where you organise into groups you identify with

Question 72

Hannah Arendt on conscience

Answer 72

- watched Eichmann's trial - german-jewish - "the banality of evil" - how evil can result from ordinary, thoughtless behaviour. - if Eichmann did not live in nazi germany, he would't have done the things he did - as long as our morality is socially acceptable, it is okay. our ideas of right and wrong are shaped by our environment - challenges the idea that humans have an innate moral compass - people must not blindly follow orders.

Question 73

scholars giving other conscience theories

Answer 73

- arendt - e.o. wilson - cardinal john henry newman - dawkins - piaget