Conscience Flashcards
What did Cardinal Newman argue?
He saw conscience as God speaking to us directly and an immediate inner voice. He says conscience suggests there’s one whom before we feel ashamed.
What did St Paul argue?
We have God-given conscience which is proven as “outsiders who have never heard of God’s law follow it more or less by instinct”
What is Aquinas’ theory on the conscience?
He does not view conscience as God’s voice but a combination of synderesis and ratio - both God-given. Synderesis is our natural inclination to do good and avoid evil and ratio is reason. It is a practical facility because it works out the right thing to do and what is practical in the circumstance. Wilkson and Wilcockson use the example of an architect to demonstrate. Conscentia is the combination of ratio and synderesis to reach a practical outcome. Aquinas says when we make mistakes we are vincibly (when we make a mistake because we haven’t use common sense or properly informed our ratio) or invincibly ignorant (We couldn’t help the outcome).
What is ratio?
Aquinas’ idea
God-given reason
What is synderesis?
Aquinas’ idea
The natural inclination to pursue good and avoid evil
What is Wilkinson and Wilcockson’s example?
Supports Aquinas’ practical facility
Of an architect who can design an ideal house but also must keep in mind the restraints like the size of the space. This is like decision making as we must keep in mind others and what is actually possible.
What is vincibly and invincibly ignorant?
Aquinas’ idea
Vincibly ignorant is when we make a mistake because we haven’t use common sense or properly informed our ratio eg) drunk driver
Invincibly ignorant is when we couldn’t help or see the outcome eg) a child not noting right or wrong or buying a plane ticket for a friend and the plane crashes
What are the strengths/weaknesses of Aquinas’ theory on the conscience?
+ It explains why God may give conflicting messages to Christians as one person must have wrongly applied their ratio
+ explains why our moral opinions may change as our ratio develops with education
- Freud says social + environmental factors affect our reasoning
- There is a tension between always following our conscience and not as it can make mistakes
What is the psychic apparatus?
Freud’s idea
Made up of 3 parts: the id, the ego, and the superego.
What is the superego?
Freud’s idea
The superego is our conscience and the internalised voice of authority figures such as teachers, parents, and priests. When our libido reemerges at puberty it is accompanied by the superego. The superego also punishes the ego with feelings of guilt, insecurity, and anxiety.
What is the ego?
Freud’s idea
The ego is our rational self which is more realistic and mediates between the superego and id to allow for social interaction.
What is the id?
Freud’s idea
The id is our desires and drives. A fundamental part of our id is also the libido (sexual drive) which is evident in childhood as we are fascinated by our sexual organs and then there is a period of latency and then it reemerges at puberty with the superego.
How does Fromm support Freud?
Furthered Freud’s ideas as he recognised that we have an authoritarian conscience but also a humanistic conscience. This is an inner voice which questions our personal integrity and makes us act when we see injustice. It can override the authoritarian conscience.
What is Freud’s theory on the conscience?
For Freud, our psychic apparatus is made up of 3 parts: the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is our desires and drives. A fundamental part of our id is also the libido (sexual drive) which is evident in childhood as we are fascinated by our sexual organs and then there is a period of latency and then it reemerges at puberty. The superego is our conscience and the internalised voice of authority figures such as teachers, parents, and priests. When our libido reemerges at puberty it is accompanied by the superego. The superego also punishes the ego with feelings of guilt, insecurity, and anxiety. The ego is our rational self which is more realistic and mediates between the superego and id to allow for social interaction. Freud was an atheist but recognised the link between God and guilt. He argued in primitive times tribes were dominated by a father figure and the younger males wanted to kill him as he had a relationship with their mother. They were ambivalent as they saw his dominance as necessary so this made them guilty about their sexual feelings and anger. God also inspires ambivalence as we need to invent him to control our fears but he also represses our sexual desires.
What are the criticisms of Freud’s conscience?
+ Freud says his explanation for conscience is a scientific fact and other psychologists such as Piaget see some truth in it. Piaget argues that there is a heteronomous stage in a child’s morality when they were good only because they were told what is right or wrong. They do not question this until later in life when they develop an autonomous morality.
+ Dawkins would agree with Freud’s rational view of the world and his dismal of God as objective truth. However, he may question his experiments as they wouldn’t be considered scientific today but he was still a pioneer who freed people from guilt.
+ His ideas explain why we feel a gut reaction and guilt better than Aquinas
- Freud links morality to upbringing but this would suggest that we all have different moral views but goodness seems the same across all cultures
- Freud’s theory cannot be falsified which suggests it is not a scientific theory
- Freud only explains conscience as guilt but not why people rebel against society
+ Fromm clarifies this
