Conscience Flashcards
Newman quote
” I toast the pope, but I toast the conscience first.”
Newman’s beliefs about the conscience
It is the messenger of God and following it is like following a divine law.
It is a “law written by God.”
It is God speaking to us when we feel intuitive moral knowledge and make decisions.
It does not invent the truth but detects it.
Augustine of hippo views of conscience
Voice of God speaking to us, when we listen to it we are hearing God whisper to us what is right or wrong.
Urged all Christians to be concerned about conscience and consider it most seriously.
Augustine of hippo quote
“Return to your conscience, question it…turn inward, brethren, and in everything you do, see God as your witness.”
Aquinas’ approach to the conscience
Saw it as the natural ability of people to understand the difference between right and wrong.
It is innate to seek good.
Societies have different views in what is right and wrong so people should always follow conscience.
Conscience is “the mind of man making moral judgements.”
Conscience is reason used correctly to find out hat good sees a good.
Aquinas : syndresis
People aim for what is Good and try to avoid what is bad.
Aquinas: conscientia
The actual ethical judgement or decision a person makes which leads to a particular course of action based upon these principles.
Summary of the conscience
Conscience is our moral compass that guides us through moral dilemmas and is our indicator to what is right or wrong.
It is a universal phenomenon.
It shouldn’t be abandoned and it should be allowed to flourish.
