Conscience- Butler

Question 1

Butler’s definition of conscience

Answer 1

• it is an innate, God-given reflective faculty
• “superior principle of reflection” meaning it has moral authority
• God has given it to us to allow us to discern what we ought to do, “passes judgement upon himself”
• conscience may not be the most powerful of our internal motivations but it is superior in being right
• it has moral authority and ought to rule our behaviour

Question 2

Strengths

Answer 2

• It allows free will as it is provided but not controlled by God
• G.E Moore: “Good cannot be defined yet people know what it means implying some innate sense or intuition” also suggesting that there must be some inner sense of good and evil in what Butler suggest to be our conscience.

Question 3

Weaknesses

Answer 3

• many things can override the conscience i.e.: society, family, self-love
• peoples’ ideas of morality is different and could lead to moral anarchy therefore questioning whether the conscience should be followed at all times

Question 4

What makes Butler’s conscience psychological

Answer 4

it is a balancing act between feelings and desires vs the principle of self-love and benevolence